To Find the Heart
by IIIIIIIIII
Summary: What if during Ichigo's fight with Yammy he had lost control of his inner hollow, revealing that he was submitting to his feral nature far more quickly that Aizen had anticipated. What would happen if Aizen changed his plans because of this? Friendships will be tested, lives will be destroyed, love will be found, and war will be waged. Likely future Ichigo/Harem.
1. And So it Begins

**A/N (Author's Note) Hello there, this is just a story that I had come up with one day, don quite remember where I got the idea from but I hope you like it. I will do my best to update this story every Friday for the foreseeable future UNTIL IT IS FINSIHED, with the occasional two instead of one chapter posted from time to time. **

**The pairing for the story will likely be Ichigo/Harem. I will not be resealing who will be in it but I will give you the hint that several female hollows are in it, and I will have a plot twist that hopefully no one will see coming. **

**Rating is T because the language and fight scenes are of course based off of bleach so no swears will be said above damn or bastard or crap…basically if you watch or have read Bleach you can easily handle this.**

**P.S. I have incidentally outlined over thirty chapters of this story and believe the story itself to be quite good, but I will not be revealing the direct plot or anything like that. Stick with it and I will do my best to make it good. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own bleach or the characters, I do not make any money off of this, and I do not own some of the dialect of this first chapter (You will see what I mean as you read…maybe)

"Regular Speech"

'_Thoughts/Conversation with Hollow' _

'**Inner voice of Ichigo's hollow**'

**Chapter 1 **

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Room**_

"Greeting my brothers, today we have but one item on the agenda. Kaname if you would be so kind as to begin the presentation." Aizen said as the meeting began.

"Yes Lord Aizen." Tosen replied as he pulled a lever causing a visual projection of Ichigo Kurosaki to appear on the center of the table.

"This boy has a colossal growth rate and I wish to have the situation assessed by one of you." Aizen said as he began to look around the table.

"I will go Lord Aizen." A green eyed human like arrancar replied.

"Count me in as well I'm bored as hell just sitting here." A large ogre like arrancar grunted.

"Very well, you may go as well. However, know that this is only for the purpose of observing the boys current level. Under no circumstances is he to be killed." Aizen ordered, prompting the larger arrancar to huff in annoyance.

"When do we depart my Lord?" The green eyed arrancar asked, obviously having no issues with the orders for one reason or another.

"As soon as I am done briefing you about the location you will be venturing to." Aizen replied.

_**Soul Society: 12**__**th**__** Division sensory Tech. Room (30 minutes later)**_

"Sir, two hollow spiritual signatures spotted heading straight for the Eastern Section of Karakura town." One of the workers said upon seeing the screen light up like the fourth of July, pressing various numbers of keys rapidly in an attempt to identify the signatures.

"Those are not ordinary hollows, they are arrancar, and from the looks of it strong ones as well." Another worker exclaimed with fear evident in his voice.

"Don't just sit there and gawk at the readings, alert Captain Commander Yamamoto of the situation immediately!" Akon yelled as the subordinates began to scramble.

_**Karakura town: Kurosaki residence**_

"This spiritual pressure… it's definitely a hollow." Ichigo began as he felt the waves of spiritual pressure rip through the air.

"I need to get their fast before this gets out of hand." Ichigo mused before popping a small green pill into his mouth and exiting his body.

"Kon I'll be back soon just stay out of trouble and don't do anything stupid." Ichigo said as he jumped out of his window and headed towards the spiritual pressure.

"Sure thing Ichigo you can count on me." Kon exclaimed.

"Gee it's been so long since I've had my hands on this body." Kon said as he stretched the limbs of Ichigo's body.

"Hmmm, what to do what to do." Kon wondered aloud, a mischievous smile coming to his lips as he thought of the numerous 'opportunities' he had when inhabiting Ichigo's body.

_**Karakura town: Urahara's Shop**_

'_This spiritual pressure is definitely higher than that of a normal arrancar.'_ Urahara thought as he felt the spike of spiritual pressure.

"Yoruichi we're leaving, in Ichigo's current condition there's no way he'll be capable at defeating these arrancar." Urahara said to his companion.

"Alright Kisuke, let's get going." Yoruichi replied before using flash step to head towards the source of the spiritual pressure.

_**Karakura Town Park**_

A large meteor impacts in the dead center of the park leaving a massive crater beneath it. As the smoke clears two figures could be seen at the bottom of the pit. The beings immerge, one massive and ogre like, and another small and more human in appearance.

"Seems the world of the living is still as boring as ever, hasn't changed a bit." The larger arrancar stated as the dust from created from their entrance began to settle.

"Don't complain, after all you wanted to accompany me to this world when I am more than capable of preforming this mission by myself." The human-like arrancar replied as they began to exit the giant crater.

"Yeah, yeah, I know already I'll give it a rest." The large arrancar huffed.

"What on earth could have created this crater?!" One of the human bystanders exclaimed.

"I don't know but I'm getting a weird feeling about this." Another human bystander replied.

"What the hell are these humans gawking at? You'd think then never saw a hole before." The ogre like arrancar bellowed.

"You'd better stop staring at me or I'll suck out your souls!" Yammy warned in an agitated voice.

"Yammy don't be an idiot, it's quite obvious they cannot see you." The smaller human like arrancar replied with contempt for his comrade's stupidity.

"Tch, whatever it still pisses me off." Yammy huffed, before he began to use his Gonzui to devour the souls of the bystanders within the immediate area.

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

As Orihime and Chad run towards the part they witness the power of Yammy's Gonzui as it sucks out all of the weak human souls within a good radius of Karakura town's park. Many civilians begin to fall to the ground, catching the attention of Orihime.

"Chad wait!" Orihime exclaimed upon seeing the innocent people simple fall lifelessly to the ground.

"It's no use Orihime that guys dead." Chad replied causing Orihime to gasp.

"We have to get to the park so that you can save those that survived." Chad said upon seeing Orihime's frown at the mention of leaving people behind to die.

_**Karakura Town Park**_

As Yammy finishes using his Gonzui to suck out the souls of all humans in the immediate area, all those who were witness to the hole being created collapsed to the ground.

"Bleck, these souls taste awful!" Yammy bellowed upon getting a bad aftertaste from the powerless souls he consumed.

"What did you expect Yammy? Weak souls like that will always taste nasty." The smaller arrancar replied.

"So? I only did it because they kept staring at us." Yammy said as he began to survey the area.

"So how many people here are we supposed to "observe" anyway?" Yammy questioned, putting sarcastic emphasis on the worked observe.

"Only one. There is no need to survey anyone else." The other arrancar replied.

"Hah, what a waste of a trip." Yammy complained with humor evident in his voice.

"I was told that there were three people in this town who hold enough spiritual pressure to offer any resistance to us. It should be easy to find them within this den of trash." The humanoid arrancar reasoned in an emotionless voice.

"Hmm what's this?" The humanoid arrancar wondered aloud upon seeing a survivor from Yammy's Gonzui.

"That's surprising. There seems to be a survivor." The smaller arrancar observed.

"What just happened? Who are you? What's going on?" Tatsuki asked as Yammy stepped closer and closer to her.

"If you survived my Gonzui you must have some spiritual pressure of your own." Yammy said as he examined the human in front of him.

"Hey Ulquiorra, this one of 'em?" Yammy asked his fellow arrancar.

"Obviously not Yammy. Her soul is about to be crushed just by you standing near her you idiot." Ulquiorra answered emotionlessly.

"She is simply trash." Ulquiorra added, causing Yammy to dawn a grin that promised bloodshed.

"Oh well guess she just got lucky." Yammy said as he brought his foot up, making to kick the human.

"But I guess her lucks just run out!" Yammy shouted as he brought his foot towards the human only for it to be stopped before it erased her from existence. Yammy looked down to see that a large human with an odd looking right arm had blocked his attack. Along with him came an ordinary looking human girl with red hear.

"Huh? Just who the hell are you guys?" Yammy questioned the new arrivals.

'_Unreal. With just a simply kick I could feel his enormous power. Winning this battle will by no means be easy. We need you to hurry Ichigo.'_ Chad thought as he began to sweat due to using so much energy to block Yammy's kick.

"Hey Ulquiorra he trash too?" Yammy asked hoping to be able to kill someone after all.

"Yammy you really need to work on your powers of deduction. They are of course trash. Do with them what you wish." Ulquiorra replied emotionlessly.

"Que Suerte." Yammy exclaimed as he backhanded Chad with enough force to send him flying away, blood flowing down the right side of his body where Yammy stuck him.

"Chad!" Orihime cried as she ran over to Chad after seeing him so effortlessly defeated.

"Chad come on, wake up." Orihime exclaimed upon arriving next to Chads injured body.

'_Chad had to know that this would happen. He must have known but faced them anyway in order to save me and Tatsuki.' _Orihime thought as she examined Chad's injuries.

"What about her Ulquiorra?" Yammy asked as he noticed the girl run over to the man that Yammy had just incapacitated.

"Need I repeat myself again Yammy?" Ulquiorra responded emotionlessly.

"Hmph." Yammy grunted as he made to squash the girl with his hand.

"Santen Kesshun." Orihime exclaimed, summoning her shield to protect her from Yammy's attack.

'_What the hell is this?'_ Yammy wondered, his eyes widening as his hand smashed through the barrier the girl had created.

"Soten Kisshun." Orihime uttered as she summoned her healing barrier over the right side of Chad's body, healing his injuries.

"Hey how are you able to heal that guys injuries?" Yammy questioned upon seeing the right side of Chad's arm, healing the injury and making it appear as if nothing had ever happened.

'_It appears that she has healing powers, but that can't be it. This is not a healing technique. She is either reversing time or space.' _Ulquiorra thought upon witnessing Chad's arm regenerate under the barrier.

"Whaddaya wanna do with her Ulquiorra. Maybe we should take her back to Aizen and show him that weird healing ability of hers." Yammy questioned.

"No… we are here for one purpose and although her powers are interesting trash is still trash." Ulquiorra responded emotionlessly.

Yammy eyed his soon to be victim with a grin as he received the confirmation to have his fun.

"Hah hah hah." Yammy laughed as he made to finish off Orihime by squashing her with the middle of his hand but was stopped before impact by the tip of a Zanpakuto.

'_What?' _Yammy thought, being surprised by the appearance of another new opponent.

'_Ah it appears our target has arrived.' _Ulquiorra thought as he saw the redheaded Soul Reaper block Yammy's fist.

"Just who the hell are you?" Yammy asked upon seeing the new opponent.

"Sorry Ichigo." Orihime apologized with a saddened expression.

"Don't be… I should have been here sooner." Ichigo replied, not taking his eyes off of his opponent.

"But it's my fault, if I was stronger…" Orihime said before she was cut off by Ichigo.

"There's no need for you to apologize. Now I'm gonna deal with them." Ichigo said as he readied his Bankai stance.

"Bankai!" Ichigo roared as he was engulfed in light blue spiritual energy. A moment later Ichigo was revealed with a standard size black zanpakuto with a chain on the end of its hilt.

'_That's Ichigo's Bankai. I've never seen it so close up before, but it feels different from the time when he fought on Sokyoku Hill.' _Orihime thought as she gazed upon Ichigo's Bankai.

"Orihime stay back." Ichigo ordered, causing Orihime to wince slightly at the tone of voice he used.

"Alright." Orihime responded before proceeding to exit the immediate battlefield.

"Bankai huh? Hey Ulquiorra this the one?" Yammy asked his companion.

"Yes, but given how clumsily you have handled the situation I'm surprised we were able to flush him out." Ulquiorra responded.

"The orange hair, the black Bankai, this is unmistakably the one." Ulquiorra continued.

"So he saved us the trouble of finding him. Que Suerte!" Yammy exclaimed as he threw his fist at Ichigo, only for him to block it with the side of his blade.

"Wha." Yammy exclaimed shocked that his punch was deflected so easily.

"You the reason that Chad is lying over there on the ground?" Ichigo questioned the hapless, brutish arrancar.

"So what if I am? You gonna do something about it?" Yammy taunted before Ichigo disappeared in an instant only to reappear immediately behind Yammy with his sword raised above his head, covered in a light amount of fresh blood.

"GAH!" Yammy yelled, clenching his right shoulder as his arm fell to the ground.

"Idiot. That should teach you to use your pesquisa." Ulquiorra muttered as he witnessed Yammy's stupidity.

'_Even given Yammy's stupidity, he was able to slice through his hierro and lop his arm off quite easily, not something I would have expected from someone who just learned Bankai.' _Ulquiorra thought as he sized up the Soul Reaper.

'_His spiritual pressure is great but at this level he is no threat to Lord Aizen.'_ Ulquiorra continued in his train of thought.

"Damn!" Yammy grunted, panting heavily due to the recent loss of his right arm.

"You seem to be having trouble, shall I take over?" Ulquiorra questioned, noticing that Yammy was not in the best of shapes to fight against a Bankai.

"Stay out of this Ulquiorra this guy's mine!" Yammy yelled as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You really need to resort to using that against this trash, how embarrassing." Ulquiorra commented, enraging Yammy further.

"Shut up Ulquiorra!" Yammy yelled, being annoyed at Ulquiorra's insult.

'_A zanpakuto… what is he a vizard? Like me and Shinji?' _Ichigo wondered before he felt a very familiar tug asking or control of his body.

'_**Switch**_.' Ichigo's inner hollow exclaimed, causing Ichigo to grip his face as he felt his hollow attempt to take over his body.

'_Damn you. Stay out of this.'_ Ichigo commanded, as he resisted his hollow's attempt at a takeover.

"Huh… what's this?" Yammy wondered aloud upon seeing Ichigo clench his face and drop any semblance of a fighting stance.

'_**Just switch with me will ya? I can take on these guys easy.'**_ Ichigo's inner hollow taunted as Ichigo's eyes began to become partially blackened.

'_Go away. I don't need you. Stay out of this.' _Ichigo responded with conviction evident in his tone.

"Ha." Yammy laughed as he kicked Ichigo sending him flying into the trees, nearly knocking the life out of him.

"How this kid managed to cut off my arm…" Yammy thought aloud after observing that Ichigo had not gotten up after he kicked him into the trees.

"I wouldn't be so sure that you have won Yammy. Look over there." Ulquiorra stated, noticing that Yammy had taken his eyes off of his opponent yet again.

"Calm down Ulquiorra, if the kid is alive he'll prolly not have anything left to fight with." Yammy mused before looking back over at his opponent, only for his eyes to widen in shock at what he saw.

'_What the hell is that?'_ Yammy wondered as he started at what he thought was still Ichigo.

Yammy no longer saw the boy that he had just moments ago sent flying into the trees. A white substance had covered the left side of his face, and his left arm, forming a claw on his hand and a partially formed hollow mask with red marks on his face. The sclera of his eyes became black as night, and the iris' became a haunting gold. The most surprising characteristic off all however was the appearance of a hollow hole in the center of his chest.

'_What is this? His spiritual pressure, the mask, the hole in the center of his chest… he unmistakably resembles a hollow. But a mere human and a Soul Reaper no less cannot possibly become a hollow can they?' _Ulquiorra thought with wide eyes, more shocked than even Yammy at what he saw.

"What the hell are you?" Yammy bellowed, causing the creature to lock dead onto his figure with his feral gaze.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." Ichigo shrieked in his feral hollow state before charging Yammy with incredible speed, zanpakuto held back and prepared to land a strong blow across Yammy's torso.

'_What the hell?'_ Yammy thought as he brought his zanpakuto to defense himself from the impending attack, barely managing to raise his blade in time.

Ichigo however used so much force in the attack that he was able to send Yammy flying into the trees, a stark contrast to what had happened not moments ago.

'_How could he have gained such speed and such power in such a short amount of time? He wasn't even remotely as fast with the attacks he used not moments ago.' _Ulquiorra thought as he observed Ichigo and Yammy fighting.

'_Better I observe the depths of this strange situation than to simply bail out that fool.' _Ulquiorra continued in his train of thought.

"Gah." Yammy grumbled as he got up from the pile of trees that had crashed on top of him due to his landing path.

"You really piss me off you know that Soul Reaper!" Yammy shouted as he charged Ichigo with his sword. The attacked proved folly as Ichigo dodged the ill-conceived attack and countered by slashing Yammy straight across his chest.

"I won't go down that easy Soul Reaper!" Yammy bellowed as he brought his sword to strike Ichigo, this time making contact and slicing him right down the left side of his torso.

The strike caused Ichigo to fall to the ground and begin to shake sporadically with seemingly no reason for his movements.

"Take that you bastard!" Yammy roared, believing that he had won the fight upon seeing Ichigo spasm on the ground.

As Ichigo abruptly stopped his spasms subsequently after which a large grey snake-like entity with large human-like teeth emerged from his torso causing both Ulquiorra and Yammy to widen their eyes in shock for the umpteenth time since seeing the boy's transformation.

The unknown creature rampaged towards Yammy with the force of a herd of bulls, clearly intent on killing anything in its path.

'_What the hell is this?' _Yammy wondered as the creature attempted to devour him.

Yammy stopped the creature from accomplishing its obvious goal by grabbing the creature's lower and upper mouth. This however did not stop it from pushing Yammy back at incredible speeds.

Yammy opened his mouth and fired a cero directly into the creature and gave a sigh of relief upon seeing it explode and subsequently vanish from sight.

"Phew, close one." Yammy exclaimed before looking over at his opponent who had undergone yet another transformation.

The white substance had spread across his upper left side of his chest and back, and had further spread on his face. The claws on his hand had become more defined and spikes appeared to be coming out of his upper left shoulder.

"How the hell is it that you keep changing soul reaper?" Yammy questioned, genuinely confused as to what the hell was happening.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The hollow screeched as it became surrounded by black spiritual pressure with a red outlining. With every second that passed more and more began to release, swirling violently and causing the wind to rage as it surrounded Ichigo in a sphere of pure dark energy.

'_What could possibly be happening now?' _Ulquiorra wondered as he witnessed the massive amount of spiritual pressure being released.

As the spiritual pressure died down Ichigo was revealed to be in his fully hollowfied form. His orange hair grew in length, extending to his lower back. The white substance had now covered his entire body, his feet became birdlike in nature, with claws extending out of them, and a tail had appeared, originating from the middle of his back.

Spikes now protruded form his other shoulder, and tuffs of white fur encircled his wrists. His hands were now complete with retractable claws where once his fingernails were and red markings were spread throughout his body, giving him a feral appearance. The appearance of this beast was menacing to say the least.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." The hollow shrieked as it abruptly charged Yammy with impressive speed.

Yammy brought his blade up to defend and ended up being able to block most of the strikes but they came at too fast a pace. As a result Ichigo landed several cuts on Yammy across his upper body and began to push him back. Blood began to pour from Yammy's wounds as Ichigo's strikes continued, even had Yammy still possessed his other arm, he doubted a counterattack was possible.

Yammy, sensing that he was at a disadvantage, put a large amount of strength into one attack in an attempt to cut Ichigo off at his chest. The blow landed but the blood immediately coagulated, turning white revealing the wound to be completely healed.

'_Instant regeneration?' _Ulquiorra and Yammy thought similarly.

"Rya." The hollow grunted as it stuck its blade against Yammy's sending him back several yards. Dust and rock shot through the air as Yammy collected himself once and came to a stop.

"Let's end this Soul Reaper." Yammy demanded as he began to charge a cero in the palm of his remaining hand and pointed it at Ichigo.

Ichigo at the same time raised his left hand at Yammy and began to charge a cero in the palm of his raised hand.

'_Is that…'_ Ulquiorra thought as he observed the crimson orb of spirit energy spiral to life in the palm of Ichigo's hand.

"No way!" Yammy exclaimed as he and Ichigo fired off their cero simultaneously.

The cero's collided, but much to Yammy's surprise the cero Ichigo had fired easily overpowered his own, and sent Yammy flying across the park, badly burnt form the powerful blast.

Ichigo turned to Ulquiorra and eyed the arrancar causing him to reach for the hilt of his zanpakuto. Ulquiorra became confused as the apparent hollow simply stopped in its tracks and began to screech, seemingly in pain.

'_What's this?' _Ulquiorra thought as he saw the creature pull its left hand up to its face and begin to rip off the mask that now covered the face of Ichigo Kurosaki.

'_I won't let you have it. You hear me, you'll never have it!' _Ichigo declared as he attempted to regain control of his body.

Black spiritual energy, laced with red, and light blue spiritual energy began to encircling the beast as Ichigo tore off the mask, negating the transformation that the boy had undergone. Once the spiritual energy subsided, Ichigo fell to the ground completely unconscious.

Yammy got up and examined his injuries before heading back over to Ulquiorra. He had several decently sized gashes across his upper torso, a severed right arm, and a burnt body having taken the brunt of Ichigo's cero.

"So it appears you've finally decided to get back up. You look to be in quite the terrible shape Yammy." Ulquiorra exclaimed as Yammy approached the body of the unconscious Ichigo.

"I'm gonna kill this bastard!" Yammy yelled as he brought his foot up to squash the unconscious Ichigo.

'_I should probably stop him before he actually kills the boy.' _Ulquiorra thought until he sensed two more spiritual entities entering the battlefield.

As Yammy brought his foot down to squash Ichigo, his foot was abruptly stopped by a barrier of red spiritual energy. As the dust settled two new opponents revealed themselves to be present.

"Sorry we're a little late." Urahara exclaimed after the dust settled.

'_Ichigo.'_ Yoruichi thought with a sad expression on her face as she looked at her currently unconscious student.

"All the damn bugs keep popping up and getting in my way!" Yammy bellowed, unhappy that he was constantly being interrupted before he could finish someone off.

"Stepping to the front of the line means you're just gonna get killed first!" Yammy exclaimed as he brought his fist up to punch his new opponents.

"Sucka." Yammy yelled as he brought his fist down towards the tanned skinned woman, who instantly caught Yammy by the forearm and flipped him effortlessly, sending him crashing to the ground on his back.

"I've got this." Yoruichi stated with a tone of finality, feeling the need to do some damage for what happened to Ichigo.

"He's all yours." Urahara replied.

"Graaaaaaaaaaa!" Yammy roared as he brought his fist down to the ground where the two had been standing, only for them to disappear in an instant before his fist even connected to the ground.

'_Wha?' _Yammy thought before his face, stomach, and upper body were hit with a flurry of strong punches by one very pissed off woman.

As Yammy began to gasp for air, temporarily being immobilized by the strong punches he received, Yoruichi flung herself into the air and brought her foot down on the Espada's head, causing him massive amounts of pain and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Hmph." Yoruichi sighed, as she began to walk from her, now defeated, opponent to the unconscious form of Ichigo.

'_The encounter with his hollow did a real number on him. His physical injuries are minimal, but he's drained all his energy in his fight for control.' _Urahara thought as he examined Ichigo's unconscious body.

"GAH!" Yammy roared as he recovered from his momentary immobilization and began to charge a cero in his mouth, aiming it directly at Urahara and Yoruichi, who were examining Ichigo's injuries.

"It's a cero." Yoruichi exclaimed upon seeing the bright red orb of energy form in Yammy's mouth.

The cero fired, creating a massive amount of dust at the point of impact. Yammy thinking that he had won began to gloat.

"Ha ha ha. You mess with me little girl ya get blown ta bits. No one can escape the blast of my cero at this range." Yammy boasted, believing that his cero connected.

'_What?!' _Yammy thought with wide eyes upon seeing that not only had his cero not connected, but it appeared to be blocked by the man who had been examining Ichigo's injuries, who now stood with his zanpakuto pointed directly at him.

"Just who the hell are you? How did you survive my cero?" Yammy questioned upon realizing that he was the one who stopped his cero from basting the other two to bits.

"You need to pay closer attention." Urahara began in a nonchalant tone.

"If I had tried to block your cero at this range the others might get hurt, so I simply responded with a similar attack." Urahara explained, causing Yammy to scowl.

"That's impossible!" Yammy exclaimed, not believing that a soul reaper was capable of matching his cero.

"If you don't believe me I'd be happy to show you again." Urahara replied readying his sword for his attack.

"Now Scream, Benehime!" Urahara shouted, sending a blast of bright red concentrated spiritual energy directly at Yammy.

The attack was all for naught as Ulquiorra appeared directly in front of the blast and deflected the attack effortlessly just before it was about to make contact with Yammy.

'_This one's strong if he can deflect Benehime's attack so effortlessly.'_ Urahara thought with a grim expression, not wanting to fight such a powerful being when others were so close by.

'_We can't afford to fight here against these two. Even if we manage to take them down the battle would be drawn out and deadly to those around us.' _Yoruichi thought, sweating slightly as she examined the arrancar that deflected Urahara's blast so easily.

"Ah Ulquiorra." Yammy said with content, only to be punched in the stomach by his companion, sending him stumbling back several feet.

"Why'd you do that?" Yammy questioned in a low voice, still recovering from the abrupt punch.

"Idiot, if you had a brain in your head you'd of figured it out." Ulquiorra began as he turned to face the two that had rescued Ichigo Kurosaki from Yammy's anger.

"That's Kisuke Urahara and she is Yoruichi Shihoin. In your current state you wouldn't last five minutes against them. Let's go." Ulquiorra stated as we walked past Yammy, and opened up a Garganta.

"Are you running away?" Yoruichi questioned as she saw the Garganta open.

"Why are you trying to goad me into a fight? Normally I'd be happy to oblige but our mission is complete. It's time to deliver our report to Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied.

"I can now see why we were sent on this mission. Ichigo Kurosaki is indeed quite interesting." Ulquiorra stated with an ever so slight smirk on his face, making Yoruichi and Urahara glare at him as he and Yammy exited via the Garganta.

"Orihime, you can come out now." Urahara said once the Garganta closed and the arrancar had left.

Orihime appeared from the forest with an expression of fear on her face as she had witnessed Ichigo turning into a hollow. Once she noticed Ichigo's injuries she instantly adopted a look of absolute worry and went over to heal him.

'_I should have been stronger. If I was Ichigo wouldn't have become that… that… thing and he wouldn't have to worry about me anymore.' _Orihime thought, saddened that Ichigo became a literal monster while trying to protect Chad and herself.

"Mister Urahara what was that thing? There's no way that it could've been Ichigo." Orihime said, more to herself than anyone else.

"That thing, as you put it Orihime, is a problem that we are going to have to address after Ichigo regains consciousness." Urahara replied sorry that the girl had to witness Ichigo's hollowfication.

"However technically speaking that thing wasn't Ichigo… it was an attempt by his inner hollow to take over him." Yoruichi said, trying to explain to Orihime what happened to him.

Orihime gasped as images of her brother becoming a hollow flashed before her eyes causing her to gain an even more worried expression on her face.

'_Ichigo, please be alright_.' Orihime pleaded in thought.

"Don't worry about it Orihime, Ichigo is strong enough to contain it, and if not strained he shouldn't lose control to his hollow." Urahara stated, trying to reassure Orihime.

"For now we need to get him to the shop so he can recover fully without anything getting in the way." Yoruichi said trying to change the topic of conversation.

"But now that I have healed his wounds shouldn't he be alright?" Orihime questioned, curious as to why Ichigo needed to be safeguarded during his recovery.

"Well Orihime the thing is Ichigo stretched his energy to the brink in order to prevent his hollow from taking control of his body. As a result he will be unconscious for a while." Urahara replied just before a Senkaimon opened up in the middle of the park.

As the doors of the Senkaimon opened, Rukia Kuchiki stepped out and immediately gasped upon seeing Ichigo lying unconscious on the grass. Rukia ran over to his motionless body and frowned upon seeing him in such a helpless state.

"What happened here?" Rukia questioned in a low voice, still shocked by the sight that her eyes were met with upon her arrival.

"Well… two arrancar happened to show up and Ichigo fought them. As to why Ichigo is currently unconscious I will explain that after we get Ichigo back to the shop and in proper care." Urahara replied, reinforcing the point that Ichigo needed rest before he would be okay again.

"Alright let's get Ichigo to your shop." Rukia said, nodding in agreement at what Urahara had said.

"Alright we need someone to carry him back…" Urahara trailed off, expecting Rukia to volunteer.

"I got it Kisuke." Yoruichi stated before throwing Ichigo on her back and using flash step to quickly get to the shop.

"Well that was quick…" Urahara deadpanned.

"I'll catch up to her and help to get Ichigo taken care of. You two take care of Chad and the three of you can meet up with us at the shop." Urahara said in his usual nonchalant tone.

The two girls nodded before running over to Chad, who was still lying on the ground with a look of disappointment and regret etched on his face.

"Chad, are you alright?" Orihime asked noticing a pained expression on Chad's face

"I wasn't strong enough." Chad said in a low voice, as if talking to himself.

"Chad, don't be ridiculous, even Ichigo had trouble with them." Orihime lightly chided, even though she felt similarly.

"I wasn't strong enough." Chad repeated in a low voice before breaking out of his trance noticing that Ichigo was gone. He immediately dawned a worried expression as he realized that is best friend was likely injured.

"Is Ichigo alright?" Chad questioned, his tone evident of his worry.

"Ichigo is being taken to Urahara's shop and we are to go there now and meet with them." Rukia began slowly.

"They said that they will explain what happened, and since you and I did not witness the fight I believe we should go as soon as possible." Rukia stated, noticing Chad's mood brighten a little at the mentioning that Ichigo was alright.

"Alright let's get going." Chad replied as they began to head towards Urahara's shop.

_**Urahara's Shop: Medical room**_

The doors to the medical room opened as Yoruichi carried an unconscious Ichigo and placed him carefully on a makeshift bed in order for him to recover comfortably.

"What were you thinking overexerting yourself like that Ichigo?" Yoruichi wondered aloud, as if speaking to herself.

"I hope you know that once you wake up I'm going to kick your ass for being that stupid." Yoruichi exclaimed, a sad expression marking her face as she looked down at Ichigo's unconscious body.

'_This hollow of his is becoming more of a problem by the day, we have to do something about it before it really does consume him.' _Yoruichi reasoned before Urahara arrived in the room and broke her out of her train of thought.

"Hey Yoruichi, I trust that Ichigo is stable?" Urahara asked, as he looked down at Ichigo.

"He will be out for some time it seems, but he will be fine." Yoruichi began as she turned to face Urahara with a serious expression on her face.

"We need to decide what to do about this Kisuke." Yoruichi stated, leaving no room for debate.

"I know… but you need give me time to think of something. We can't do anything too rash or we could just end up losing Ichigo for good." Urahara replied, causing Yoruichi to gain a saddened expression at the mention of losing Ichigo for good.

"Ichigo will be fine until we come up with a solution. Kid's got a lot of heart, which may be the only reason he got back control after hollowfying to that extent." Urahara continued.

"For now we'll just have to wait for the others to get here before we can tell them what happened. Then Rukia can create a report on the incident with the arrancar and inform the Soul Society." Urahara said in a serious tone, eliciting a nod of understanding from Yoruichi.

**A/N (Author's Note) Since the first Chapter is mostly the same as when Ulquiorra and Yammy came to Karakura the first time I'm being generous enough post two chapters instead of one for my first posting of this story. Enjoy! :)**

**Just in case anyone is bothered by this I just want to let you know that I am aware of the grammatical fact that after … there is a space between the last . and the first letter of the proceeding word. In my opinion … without the space after it makes it look better. **

**Please drop a review and tell me what you thought of the story, favorite, follow, do as you like. **


	2. Kisuke's Soloution

**Disclaimer**: I do not own bleach or is characters, and I do not make any money off of this.

**Chapter 2**

_**Karakura Town: Urahara's Shop**_

"Alright were finally here, come on you guys!" Orihime chirped as the group arrived at Urahara's shop.

"Hey there Orihime took you guys long enough. What kept you?" Urahara joked as the three walked into the shop.

"Not being able to use flash step can really be a real disadvantage when you're trying to go places." Chad countered, detecting Urahara's joking tone.

"Enough joking around, is Ichigo alright?" Rukia asked, becoming serious.

"He's in the back room resting, but he still hasn't woken up yet so don't try to wake him." Urahara warned as they began to walk towards the room where Ichigo was recovering.

"Poor Ichigo…" Orihime trailed off as she looked down at Ichigo, who was seemingly sleeping.

"How long will he be out?" Orihime questioned, feeling even more guilt over not being strong enough.

"I have no idea… it shouldn't be more than a few more hours, but at max I would say until morning." Urahara replied trying to reassure Ichigo's friends of the fact he would be alright.

"Alright Urahara… now it's time for you to tell me just what the hell happened out there." Rukia demanded, wanting to know how Ichigo came to be unconscious.

"Well… so far you know that two arrancar entered Karakura Town Park earlier today, correct?" Urahara questioned, earning a nod from Rukia giving him the signal to continue.

"You also are aware that Chad and Orihime got to the battle before Ichigo did and proceeded to stall the arrancar, correct?" Urahara said, again receiving a nod from Rukia.

"I take it that you are also aware of Ichigo's… condition, correct?" Urahara questioned, prompting Rukia to nod once more.

"Once Ichigo arrived he entered Bankai and at first got an advantage over the ogre like arrancar, he even managed to lop off his right arm. Unfortunately his hollow began to fight him for control." Urahara began, as Chad and Rukia listened intently.

"Ichigo in his handicapped state took a strong blow from the arrancar and it sent him flying, knocking what little strength he had out of him. This is when I believe his hollow was able to wrest control of his body." Urahara continued, causing Orihime and Yoruichi to frown slightly as the memory of Ichigo in his hollow form flashed before their eyes.

"I am under the assumption that the strain of using Bankai allowed Ichigo's hollow to take control. Just something I'm going to have to tell him once he wakes up." Urahara added.

"How bad was Ichigo's transformation?" Rukia asked halfheartedly, obviously conflicted with whether or not she wanted to know the answer to her question.

"Ichigo hollowfied to an extent that I was slightly worried he wouldn't come back…" Urahara said earning a glare from everyone in the room.

"…but Ichigo was of course able to fight back, not that I was too worried." Urahara stated, becoming aware that mentioning Ichigo being lost was not a good idea in present company.

"In his hollow state Ichigo became feral and simply attacked the larger arrancar on instinct. The speed and strength in his attacks appeared to catch his opponent off guard and what's more the fact that he kept transforming in his battle likely further confused him." Urahara said as he described the battle between Ichigo and Yammy.

"Ichigo eventually overpowered his opponent and before he was able to attack the other he was able to take control of his body. The rest is, as you know, Ichigo becoming unconscious as a result of his fight for control. I can only imagine how difficult it must've been for him to come back from… that." Urahara said with worry in his voice as he gave a brief glance down at Ichigo.

"Okay… now I need to know about the arrancar, how powerful were they?" Rukia asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Well to tell you the truth, they were extremely powerful." Urahara said as the image of Ulquiorra deflecting his attack effortlessly popped into his head.

"To be perfectly honest if we had fought the town may have been in serious danger. On top of that, if Aizen has many more arrancar at that level of power or higher, then the Soul Society is in some serious trouble." Urahara said in a deadly serious tone that sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present.

"Are you saying that the Soul Society very well could lose to Aizen?" Chad questioned in his usual calm and collected tone.

"Not necessarily, for all we know that smaller arrancar could have been Aizen's strongest, even if he isn't I doubt that there are many stronger than him." Urahara said trying to lighten the mood after his previous comment.

"Our greatest disadvantage in this case is lack of knowledge. We don't know the extent of the enemy's strength. Going into a war, this is going to be a serious disadvantage. There is no room to underestimate our enemy." Yoruichi stated, giving her two cents on the matter.

"I agree Yoruichi. Rukia you need to go back to the Soul Society and inform the court guard squads what has occurred today. Make sure to tell them better to over prepare for the war than underprepare." Urahara said as he looked at Rukia with a serious expression.

'_I need to become stronger as well.'_ Chad and Orihime thought similarly.

"Very well I will give my report to the captains once I enter the Seireitei. For now however I will remain in the world of the living until I receive further instructions." Rukia stated before looking at Orihime.

"Orihime, would you mind if I stay with you while I'm here? Normally I'd stay with Ichigo and his family, but..." Rukia asked, trailing off as she looked at Ichigo's still unconscious body.

"Of course you can stay with me Rukia!" Orihime said as she jumped for joy, surprising Rukia slightly with her over-cheery reaction.

"Well… thanks Orihime… but is jumping really necessary?" Rukia deadpanned as she saw Orihime's reaction.

Orihime then gripped Rukia by the wrist began to drag her to her home.

"See ya Mr. Urahara, take good care of Ichigo!" Orihime chirped as she exited the shop, leaving Chad, Urahara, and Yoruichi still in the room watching over Ichigo.

'_That girl never ceases to amaze me the way that she changes moods.' _Urahara thought, chuckling at Orihime's antics.

"Chad I suppose you will be going as well?" Urahara questioned, noticing that Chad had not left with his friends.

Chad simply stood there with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Chad?" Urahara repeated after several seconds of silence.

"Teach me how to become stronger." Chad said with a look of determination in his eyes.

_**Vizards Hideout**_

"Shinji what the hell are we gonna do now?!" Hiyori yelled as she beat Shinji with her sandal.

"You're so mean to me!" Shinji cried out as Hiyori continued to pummel him with her sandal.

"Knock it off you two we have some serious business to discuss!" Kensei yelled, attempting to break up the fight.

"Kensei your so mean, let Hiyori have her fun!" Mashiro chirped, only succeeding in aggravating Kensei even further.

"Don't you start!" Kensei growled, not wanting to deal with Mashiro's antics, on top of Hiyori's rage.

"If you'll all calm down we do have business to discuss regarding our recent interest in Ichigo Kurosaki I believe." Hachi said, being the voice of reason within the group of former Soul Reapers.

"I agree… it's incredibly ugly to be fighting when there is business to discuss." Rose replied, making Love sigh.

"Everything about you has to do with beauty." Love said with a deadpanned expression.

"Well what do you expect? Beauty is ever so important in all thi… Lisa would you please put down your self-proclaimed "healthy" reading material to join us?" Rose chided, causing Lisa to send him a death glare.

"What was that bird boy?" Lisa taunted causing Rose to grow angry.

"Now see here…" Rose began, as he made to argue before Hachi cut him off.

"Enough!" Hachi yelled in a tone that was quite uncharacteristic of him.

The vizards instantly stopped what they were doing. Hiyori stopped beating Shinji, Mashiro stopped hanging on Kensei, and Rose and Lisa stopped their argument, each now having their attention on Hachi.

"Now then…" Hachi began, content with the results of raising his voice.

"We need to get this meeting underway. Shinji, would you be so kind as to begin?" Hachi questioned, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Alright, as you are all aware we have a prospective member that has recently attracted our attention. Hiyori and I have tried to recruit him… but unfortunately he has refused us thus far." Shinji stated, causing Hiyori to scoff.

"Dumbass." Hiyori spat.

"Anyway…" Shinji continued in an annoyed tone, deciding to ignore Hiyori's insult.

"Earlier today Ichigo Kurosaki had an encounter with several arrancar. During the fight he began to lose control of his hollow to the point where he began to hollify… almost to the point of no return." Shinji stated before being interrupted by Kensei.

"That's an understatement Shinji, we all felt that spiritual pressure, he practically became a full hollow, something that not too many people can come back from." Kensei stated, prompting several of his comrades to nod in acknowledgment of his point.

"True, his hollowfication is progressing faster than we anticipated it would, which is why we need to do something or this could get out of hand and he may very well become lost to us, one way or the other." Shinji replied calmly.

"Couldn't we just kidnap him and force him back here dumbass?!" Hiyori yelled growing frustrated at how much time they put into recruiting Ichigo.

"Yes, but as you can see this does end up working towards our advantage. He will no doubt realize that he can't actually contain his hollow anymore." Shinji replied with a knowing grin etched on his face.

"Oh I see… so you plan on approaching him hoping that he will cave this time since he should realize he can't control it on his own." Lisa stated, realizing what Shinji's was getting at.

"Correct! So this time we should be able to recruit him and get no resistance." Shinji stated, earning several nods of approval from his fellow vizards.

"You dumbass! Why didn't you just start off with that?!" Hiyori yelled as she began to beat Shinji with her sandal once more.

"Those two really should learn to fight less, it's so unattractive." Rose stated as he watched the Shinji beating continue.

"There you go with that beauty talk again." Love said with a grim expression.

'_Those two can't go without fighting for ten minutes can they.' _Kensei thought before Mashiro interrupted his train of thought.

"Kensei I wanna fight too!" Mashiro chirped as she took Kensei's blade and began to run away with it.

"Catch me if you can Kensei!" Mashiro shouted in an upbeat tone as she ran away from a very aggravated Kensei.

"Come back here you troublesome woman!" Kensei yelled as he began to chase Mashiro.

Hachi merely shook his head as he witnessed the vizards return to fighting as Lisa merely sat there reading a "book" until the fighting subsided.

'_Just once I wish we could have one of these meetings go one without this happening.'_ Hachi thought wishfully, releasing a sigh as he knew what he would have to do once more to get the meeting back on track.

"That's enough!" Hachi yelled bringing the vizards attention back to him once more.

"Shinji I suspect that you had more to your plan. Please continue." Hachi directed once the vizards were back on track.

"Yeah, well as I was saying…" Shinji began, being slightly surprised that Hachi had yelled twice in one day.

"We need to approach Ichigo as soon as possible, the sooner the better in my opinion, so I will be going with Hiyori to Kisuke's shop to see if he has recovered." Shinji stated earning a glare from Hiyori.

"What makes you think I'd wanna tag along with you dumbass?!" Hiyori yelled as a tick mark appeared on her head.

"Because snaggletooth, I need someone to come with me and you're the only one who'd be bored enough to go." Shinji replied causing Hiyori to become even more agitated.

"Don't call me snaggletooth, dumbass!" Hiyori roared, showing even more anger.

"I'll call you whatever I want too ya little midget." Shinji exclaimed as he became annoyed with Hiyori, momentarily forgetting how their little bout would inevitably end.

"Take this!" Hiyori yelled as she took out her sandal and began to beat Shinji once more, causing Rose to make another snide comment about beauty.

Love simply sighed at this, causing Rose to start an argument up with him again.

"Catch me Kensei!" Mashiro chirped as she once again grabbed Kensei's zanpakuto and ran away.

"Get back here!" Kensei yelled as he once again started to chase Mashiro.

'_I can't believe I let this happen again!' _Kensei thought angrily as he continued to chase after his green-haired former lieutenant.

Lisa went back to reading as the rest of the vizards, save Hachi, began to fight once more, as the cycle of antics continued.

'_Oh brother…' _Hachi thought with a sigh.

_**Urahara's Shop **_

"Come again Chad." Urahara said with a confused expression.

"Make me stronger Mr. Urahara." Chad repeated, a dead-set expression showing his determination.

"Well who is this humble shop keeper to refuse such a request?" Urahara asked rhetorically as he began to wave his fan over his face.

"Thank you I appreciate this." Chad stated happy that he had accepted his request.

"But… you mind if I ask why?" Urahara questioned, curious as to what possessed Chad to want to get stronger.

'_My bet is that he wants to participate in the upcoming war but I can't be certain until I hear that from him.' _Urahara thought as he waited for Chad to respond.

"I need to become stronger, so I can help out Ichigo. I was no help to him in the park… I was…" Chad trailed off gaining a saddened expression.

"Hmmm?" Urahara questioned, curious as to what Chad was about to say.

"Too… too weak. If I could have handled things in the park…Ichigo wouldn't have become that…that thing." Chad said mentally berating himself for getting taken down by the large arrancar so easily.

"I see." Urahara replied, content with guessing Chad's reasons correctly.

"In that case Chad I'd be glad to help you get stronger, but I warn you this will not be easy on you and the results won't be instantaneous either…" Urahara said in a serious tone, noticing the look of determination that graced Chad's features.

"But if you think you can handle it…" Urahara began before Chad cut him off.

"I can and I will!" Chad declared, raising his voice to show his determination.

'_That's the spirit Chad.' _Urahara thought contentedly.

"We can start soon but for now I need you to go home and rest. Be here tomorrow though, since I'm sure you want to start as soon as possible." Urahara stated.

"Alright, thank you once again. I'll be on my way now." Chad said as he got up and exited the shop.

"What do you think that was about Kisuke?" Yoruichi questioned as she looked at Urahara with a serious expression on her face.

"He said he wanted to be stronger so he can fight in the upcoming war, that's only half true though…" Urahara began.

"He obviously blames himself on some level for Ichigo undergoing his hollowfication. Even if we were to tell him otherwise it's clear that's what he thinks." Urahara mused, feelings slightly bad for Chad's condition.

_**Outside Urahara's Shop: Unknown location**_

As Chad walked out of the shop and began to walk towards his home two figured began to converse in the shadows.

"Alright Hiyori you ready to do this?" Shinji asked, only to be kicked in the face.

"What kind of question is that dumbass we've been waiting forever?!" Hiyori yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, listen I need to not to be so… so… so you. Okay? This is after all a delicate situation." Shinji said, earning another kick to the face.

"Don't tell me what to do dumbass!" Hiyori screamed as she started to beat Shinji with her sandal once more.

'_Why me?!' _Shinji thought in a melodramatic tone as his beating continued.

_**Karakura Town Park**_

As a Senkaimon opened in the middle of the park five figures could be seen exiting, each wearing what appeared to be Karakura Town High School uniforms. They began walking towards the streets, drawing the eyes of the pedestrians as they did so.

"So good to be back in the world of the living!" Rangiku said in an overly-cheery tone.

"Whatever… seems so boring to me." Ikkaku grumbled as the group walked on.

"Plus I can't even carry my sword around. What kind of crap is that?!" Ikkaku exclaimed, agitated that he was unable to carry his favorite weapon around with him in the world of the living.

"It's against the law here Ikkaku, so I suggest you stop your bellyaching. You're starting to draw unwanted attention to us." Yumichika stated, having noticed the various stares the group had been getting as they walked.

"What kind of a dumb law is it that you can't carry around a sword?" Ikkaku grumbled in an annoyed tone.

"You know you didn't have to come." Renji piped in, causing a tick mark to appear on Ikkaku's head.

"Who asked you pineapple head?!" Ikkaku yelled as he but his head with Renji's.

"No one calls me pineapple head cue ball!" Renji said as a tick mark formed on his head.

"All of you shut up we have our orders!" Hitsugaya shouted, annoyed that his subordinates were making a scene.

"We are to find Rukia Kuchiki and give her further instructions after which we are to remain here and defend Karakura Town. Is that clear?" Hitsugaya stated in his usual calm cool and collected tone.

"Yes Captain." The four subordinates simultaneously replied.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

Everyone had left the shop, leaving Yoruichi in the room to watch over Ichigo as he rested.

"Well Yoruichi I guess it's time that we discuss what we should do." Urahara stated, prompting Yoruichi to nod in agreement.

"Well, well, well…" An unknown voice chimed in from the doorway.

"…I was just about to suggest the same thing." Shinji said as he and Hiyori walked through the door.

"What are you doing here Shinji?" Yoruichi asked as she glared at Shinji

"I thought that would be obvious at this point Yoruichi…" Shinji trailed off, causing the dark skinned woman to inwardly panic.

"Now that wouldn't happen to be to take Ichigo would it?" Urahara asked with his usual cheerful tone as he began to wave his fan in front of his face.

"Didn't know you swung that way Shinji." Urahara teased causing Shinji to become frustrated and Yoruichi to laugh at his discomfort.

"He got you." Hiyori stated before laughing at the joke herself.

"You know damn well that's not the reason!" Shinji yelled in annoyance causing the laughter to subside.

"We're here because his hollow has become an increasingly pressing matter." Shinji stated in his usual calm tone, causing Yoruichi and Urahara to become serious.

'_So it's come to this.' _Yoruichi thought, herself being worried at what was going to happen once their conversation was over.

"So you picked up on that huh?" Urahara asked as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, earning a glare from Hiyori, who had not said anything of note throughout the conversation thus far.

"Of course we picked up on that dumbass! It was impossible not to sense what happened earlier!" Hiyori yelled as she threw her sandal straight into Urahara's face, causing him to fall.

'_After a hundred years I still haven't gotten used to that.' _Urahara thought melodramatically, as the pain from getting hit by Hiyori reached his senses.

"Was that really necessary Hiyori?" Shinji questioned with a deadpanned expression, hiding his annoyance with the fact that Hiyori couldn't behave herself.

"Shut up!" Hiyori snapped.

"Back to the topic of conversation…" Yoruichi trailed off, trying to get to the point.

"Yes well…" Urahara began as he rubbed his face where the sandal had hit.

"Ichigo may have an issue with his inner hollow but he isn't strong enough yet where he can defeat it." Urahara stated, causing Hiyori to snort in contempt.

"On top of that if today's…incident…is anything to go off of, Ichigo will need to be stronger before he can handle his inner hollow and learn how to use its powers." Urahara added.

'_What is he getting at?' _Yoruichi and Shinji wondered similarly as Hiyori just sat there with a bored expression on her face.

"So what do you suppose we do Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In order for Ichigo to be strong enough he will need training…" Urahara began, causing Yoruichi to realize what he was getting at.

"Yoruichi and I will train Ichigo until such a time that he can be handed over to you and you can begin to teach him about handling his hollow and everything that comes with it." Urahara stated.

"I don't know Kisuke… how much is 'such a time'?" Shinji questioned, skeptical of his plans validity.

"One month." Urahara said, causing Yoruichi to go wide eyed.

'_He has to know what's coming up in two weeks, right?' _Yoruichi wondered, thinking Urahara had overlooked something.

"I still don't know about this Kisuke." Shinji said, still hesitant to go along with his old friends plan.

'_Skeptical as ever I see.' _Urahara thought as Shinji questioned his plan.

"Come on Shinji I'm only asking for one month… four weeks, that's it, then he's all yours." Urahara reassured, hoping to get Shinji to go along with his plan.

"All right Kisuke, four weeks… no less. We at least owe you that much." Shinji replied causing Hiyori to snort, obviously not happy with more waiting.

"Thanks Shinji I promise this is for the best." Urahara said, while being inwardly relieved that the vizard had accepted his plan over just taking Ichigo away.

"Alright Hiyori lets go..." Shinji said as he turned around, making to leave, when all of a sudden he was sent flying out of the door by a kick that landed on his lower back.

"Don't tell me what to do you dumbass, and what's with more waiting?!" Hiyori screamed as she began to chase after Shinji, sandal in hand.

"No way am I letting you near me with that thing." Shinji screamed as he ran as fast as he could to escape his inevitable beating. Urahara and Yoruichi in the meantime simply watched amused at the antics of the two vizards.

"Get back here and take it like a man!" Hiyori yelled as she ran after Shinji.

_**Las Noches: Medical Room**_

Ulquiorra entered the medical room in search of Yammy, whom he needed to retrieve before he made to give his report to Aizen.

Ulquiorra entered the room seeing Yammy's arm nearly sown back onto this body as he walked over to check up on him.

"Hey girl, you done yet?" Yammy grumbled to the person who was sowing his arm back onto his body.

"Almost sir." The surgeon replied.

"So Yammy it seems your arm has finally been reattached to your arm." Ulquiorra stated in his emotionless voice as Yammy began to clench his fist

"Tch, why can't it just grow back like your eye can Ulquiorra?" Yammy grumbled annoyed that his arm was still not at a hundred percent.

"Don't be foolish Yammy, if you had not been careless you would not have to be here in the first place…" Ulquiorra began, causing Yammy to grunt in annoyance.

"Furthermore I would not have to delay my report to Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra added.

"Yeah, yeah, just wait I need to see if my arm is back to normal." Yammy said as he brought his fist up.

Yammy punched the arrancar that had sown his arm back on and send her flying into a wall, killing her on impact.

"Hmph, not good enough." Yammy grunted, prompting Ulquiorra to shake his head dismissively at Yammy's action.

"If I had been at full strength that would have disintegrated her on impact." Yammy complained.

"Quit complaining Yammy its time that we deliver our report." Ulquiorra stated making to leave the medical area.

Yammy grunted but stood up and began to walk in silence with Ulquiorra as they proceeded towards the throne room.

_**Vizards Hideout**_

"Hey Shinji your back earlier than I thought…" Lisa trailed off, noticing the lack of a third person.

"Although it appears you are one short, what happened, Hiyori kill the kid?" Lisa asked in a joking tone.

"Change of plans..." Shinji began before he was interrupted by Hiyori.

"The plan wouldn't have changed if you had a spine." Hiyori spat, still being annoyed that they had to wait longer.

'_Will I ever catch a break?!'_ Shinji thought as he sighed, hanging his head in frustration.

"Anyway, Kisuke came up with a…time table so to speak." Shinji stated earning the attention of the vizards.

"What do you mean by that Shinji?" Hachi asked, curious as to what the 'humble shopkeeper' had in mind.

"Well Kisuke made the point that he wasn't ready to fight his inner hollow…" Shinji began, noticing the confused looks on all of the vizards other than Hiyori.

"Essentially, he said that since Ichigo's hollow is so strong that he will need to become stronger before he can actually handle him." Shinji stated, causing the confused expressions of his comrades to disappear.

"Therefore he will be training for four weeks with Kisuke and Yoruichi so that he can become stronger, at which point he will be handed over to us in order to learn how to control his inner hollow." Shinji finished.

"So you're basically saying more waiting." Lisa said with a deadpanned expression.

"Pretty much…" Shinji said before Hiyori began beating him once more.

"You dumbass if you had let me handle it he would be back here already!" Hiyori screamed as she continued to beat Shinji.

'_Wonder if this will ever not be entertaining to watch?' _All of the vizards save Hachi wondered similarly.

_**Urahara's Shop **_

"Kisuke." Yoruichi called, successfully bringing Urahara's attention to her.

"You do know what you have to do in two weeks right?" Yoruichi questioned, curious as to if he had forgotten.

"No Yoruichi I have not forgotten." Urahara answered.

"That is why I thought it be better for us to take turns training him for a fixed amount of time, which is why I suggested a month." Urahara began.

"So I will train Ichigo for the first two weeks, and you will train him the other two." Urahara continued.

"I also think that it will be best that he stay here with us in the shop for the duration of his training, doesn't make much sense keeping him at his house, especially with his hollow giving him so much trouble." Urahara reasoned, earning a sly smile from Yoruichi at the mention of Ichigo living in the shop with them.

'_Oh this is going to be so much fun.' _Yoruichi thought as she began to think of the many ways she could "enjoy" Ichigo living in such close proximity to her.

'_I know that look, she's got something planned.' _Urahara thought upon noticing Yoruichi's mischievous grin.

"Oh I forgot to mention…" Urahara began, grinning like a madman.

"When you're not training Ichigo you're going to have to be in cat form. Simply reasonable to me…I hope you can understand." Urahara said, causing Yoruichi to drop her smile and adopt a slight frown.

"How do you figure that is reasonable." Yoruichi asked, noticing Urahara's grin widen.

"Well we can't have him being 'surprised' or anything, now can we?" Urahara said putting emphasis on the word surprised.

'_Dammit Kisuke!' _Yoruichi thought out of annoyance.

"Good plan I think, maybe not so much for you but…" Urahara teased, earning a death glare from Yoruichi which subsequently caused him to quit while he was behind.

"Yes I have to admit that was quick thinking on your part but…" Yoruichi trailed off.

"Yes Yoruichi?" Urahara asked.

"Who gets to tell him when he wakes up?" Yoruichi questioned.

"Hmmm… That's easy, I'll take care of that…" Urahara stated before breaking off as he remembered something.

"In fact I'll have to talk to Isshin as well." Urahara replied as he tapped his chin in thought.

_**Las Noches Throne Room**_

The doors to the throne room of Las Noches open as Ulquiorra and Yammy walk towards the center of the room, on the floor in front of the throne. The room had many arrancar in it standing on the rock formations that resided on the sides of the throne room.

"We have returned Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra said giving a slight bow to Aizen.

"Welcome Ulquiorra and Yammy…" Aizen began, a smile etched in his features.

**A/N You know I thought it was kind of weird that I used the same cliffhanger that they used in the show…but I guess it works. **

**So tell me what you think of the story so far, feel free to say whatever you want this is the internet after all and if I was not capable of taking criticism I would not have posted this story **

**Review, favorite, feel free to ask questions. Till next week bye! ;D**


	3. Enter the Soul Society

**A/N Hello everyone. Glad to see that the story is off to a good start, better than I thought ironically enough. This reason I am posting this is twofold. Firstly, I wrote this chapter because I felt like a week was too long a wait. Secondly, the new dates that new chapters will be posted will be on Tuesday's, starting tomorrow. This means that another chapter will be up by tomorrow, after which the date will likely stay on Tuesday. Response to Reviews will be at the end of the chapter so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own bleach or any of its characters, and I make absolutely no profit from this story.

**Chapter 3**

_**Las Noches: Throne Room **_

The doors to the throne room of Las Noches open as Ulquiorra and Yammy walk towards the center of the room, on the floor in front of the throne. The room had many arrancar in it standing on the rock formations that resided on the sides of the throne room.

"We have returned Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra said giving a slight bow to Aizen.

"Welcome Ulquiorra and Yammy…" Aizen began a smile etched in his features.

"Now tell us what you have accomplished here in front of your brothers." Aizen continued.

"I think you will find what I have seen most interesting." Ulquiorra said, allowing himself an ever so slight smirk, an action that confused nearly everyone who noticed it.

'_For him to smirk he must have found out something of interest.' _Aizen thought, himself being well aware of Ulquiorra's emotionless nature.

"The boy did exceed my expectations something that I do not take lightly…" Ulquiorra began, causing those who were not paying attention prior to take a sudden interest in his words.

"Though he did not do so in the way that one might… traditionally… believe." Ulquiorra said cryptically, confusing most everyone in the room.

"What do you mean by that Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked as Ulquiorra made to grab his eye out of its socket. A moment later Ulquiorra grabbed his eye and outstretched his hand.

"See it for yourselves." Ulquiorra said as he crushed the eye in his hand, spreading slight amounts spiritual energy in the form of bright dust across the room, allowing everyone in the room to see his mission through his eyes.

All those in the room had witnessed everything he had seen. They had seen Ichigo cut off Yammy's arm, his temporary paralysis in the middle of the fight, the stages of his transformation, his defeating Yammy, his hollow powers, and finally his reverting back into a Soul Reaper.

As these images were seen, everyone in the room, even Aizen, had wide eyes as they saw the boy transform several times, seemingly becoming a hollow, even to the point of being able to use the abilities that only a hollow can possess.

'_It would seem that the boy's hollowfication is proceeding faster than I had anticipated, this is an unforeseen turn of events.' _Aizen thought with a slight amount of confusion.

'_By my estimates his inner hollow should not be able to exert such control over him for several months… I must ponder what lead to this unforeseen obstacle.' _Aizen thought as he debated how this would affect Ichigo's progression.

"As you can see Lord Aizen the boy does possess some form of unique powers." Ulquiorra began, breaking Aizen out of his train of thought.

"At his current level he is not a threat to you, Lord Aizen, but this power he possesses coupled with his excelled growth rate could very well make him one." Ulquiorra continued only to be interrupted by an arrancar sitting in the rock formations.

"You're soft!" A blue haired arrancar shouted from the shadows.

"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra said as he shifted his gaze to the blue haired arrancar that had interrupted him.

"If this kid is such a threat to us then why not simply kill him and be done with it?!" Grimmjow chided in a slightly mocking tone.

"It's pretty obvious that whatever he is, he easily defeated Yammy." Grimmjow added, his comment angering Yammy.

"Shut your mouth Grimmjow! You wouldn't have fared any better!" Yammy roared out of anger.

"Tch, at least I would have come back with both my arms still attached to my body." Grimmjow taunted, only adding more fire to the short fuse on Yammy's temper.

"Why you…" Yammy began, as he entered a shouting match with Grimmjow.

_**With Halibel and her Fraccion **_

"Will those two ever shut up?" A female arrancar with black hair, one red and one blue eye complained as Grimmjow and Yammy continued to argue with one another.

"Quit complaining Apacci." A dark-skinned female arrancar ordered.

"Shut up Mila Rose!" Apacci exclaimed with an annoyed tone.

"When you two fight your no better than they are." A pink eyed arrancar pointed out as she brought her sleeve over her mouth.

"Shut up Sung-Sun!" Apacci and Mila Rose yelled in unison at the olive haired woman.

"Ladies calm yourselves…" Their apparent leader commanded. "This meeting is of great importance and if what we saw was any indication of what is to come then this will be interesting." A blonde haired green eyed woman stated.

"Yes Lady Halibel." The three fraccion replied.

"What's so special about this kid anyway, that transforming thing can't be that tough." Apacci exclaimed, being the arrogant arrancar that she was.

"In case you are blind Apacci that thing beat Yammy with little to no effort. One top of that even when his appearance did not resemble a hollow he easily lopped of Yammy's arm." Mila Rose stated, disgusted by her comrades arrogance.

"Tch, whatever, I'd bet even you could take him down you cow." Apacci taunted, causing a tick mark to appear on Mila Rose's head.

"What did you say moose girl?!" Mila Rose asked angrily, as she and Apacci butted heads.

"Are you two going to make Lady Halibel repeat herself?" Sung-Sun questioned, causing the two ladies to simply grunt before turning their backs to one another and become silent.

'_The boy does have power of that there is no doubt…and that spiritual pressure…it's as if he became a full hollow and somehow reverted back. That should be impossible.' _Halibel thought as she ignored the bickering of her fraccion.

'_I wonder how powerful that form actually is, pity it reverted before Ulquiorra had a chance to fight it. Outside of instant regeneration, its cero was strong enough to easily negate Yammy's, and his speed was quite impressive. If I had to guess his power would be that of a strong adjucha, but how strong I cannot be sure.' _Halibel continued in her train of thought.

_**With Stark and Lilynette **_

The Primera Espada sat wide awake in a rare turn of events, intrigued by the happenings of the meeting as Lilynette sat there with a bored expression on her face.

"Uggggg." Lilynette grumbled out of boredom.

"Starrk I'm bored can we leave now." Lilynette complained.

"Figures the one time I'm awake for this thing and you won't stop bugging me to leave." Stark said after releasing a tired sigh.

Starrk's declaration made Lilynette realize something that she had overlooked since Ulquiorra began his report.

"Hey wait a minute…your actually awake…that never happens." Lilynette stated with wide wyes.

Starrk merely sighed once more at Lilynette's attempt at a joke, regardless of whether or not her statement was true.

'_Guess it is a bit of a surprise that I'm awake.' _Starrk thought lazily as he mentally reflected on Lilynette's words.

'_Normally I would be asleep but… this kid… how can he have powers that so closely resemble a hollow? He's a Soul Reaper after all, and they can't possible have the powers of a hollow… could they?' _Starrk wondered as he began to think about the possibilities for this phenomenon.

"Starrk?" Lilynette asked, breaking Starrk out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Starrk mumbled, not knowing what Lilynette had asked him.

"So… why are you awake?" Lilynette asked, baffled as to why Stark was not asleep like he usually was.

"I'm just curious Lilynette." Starrk replied, causing Lilynette to raise an eyebrow.

"About the Soul Reaper?" Lilynette questioned, getting a nod from Starrk as a response.

"Why?" Lilynette asked, still slightly confused.

'_If I'd have known she'd be asking me questions I'd have just gone to sleep.' _Starrk thought as he sighed.

_**Las Noches Throne Room (General Audience)**_

"Enough Grimmjow, Yammy…" Aizen ordered, breaking the argument off between the two.

"I've had enough of your petty squabbles for the day." Aizen stated, showing a slight amount of irritation at the bickering between the two Espada.

"You are all dismissed, and thank you Ulquiorra your experience was most… enlightening to say the least." Aizen said, being somewhat pleased that this recent development was brought to his attention.

As all the Espada leave Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen appear from the shadows, making to speak with Aizen.

"Well, well, well Lord Aizen. It appears we have a little complication." Gin stated bearing his usual grin.

"The boy seems to be becoming a hollow far sooner than you anticipated. I wonder how much this will mess up your plans seeing as how you had hoped to create a bit more havoc before this occurred." Gin added.

"Do not be so sure to underestimate Lord Aizen, Ichimaru." Tosen commented, slightly annoyed at what Gin implying that this would hinder Aizen's plans.

'_Though Gin's words have merit to them, I cannot overlook the implications as to why this would occur. Only two possibilities exist in this case. Either I miscalculated, which is highly unlikely, or the boy's hollow nature is more dominant that it should be.' _Aizen thought.

'_If this is the case… perhaps I can use his weakness to my advantage depending on how the friends of Ichigo Kurosaki react.' _Aizen continued in his train of thought.

"Actually Kaname, Gin is correct… but he is incorrect at the same time." Aizen said cryptically with his signature smile, causing both Gin and Tosen to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean by that Lord Aizen?" Gin questioned, dropping his grin as he assumed there wouldn't really be a way to spin Aizen being wrong about something.

"You are correct in that this is a complication…" Aizen began as his smile grew.

"But this could be to our advantage." Aizen finished as he left the throne room, leaving Gin and Tosen in an even more confused state.

'_Leave it to Lord Aizen to be wrong and still make an attempt to make it work for him.' _Gin thought amusedly before walking off to annoy some of the arrancar.

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

Rukia and Orihime walk towards the home of Orihime, chatting about random topics as they do so. Rukia however notices something is off about Orihime but makes no comment on it until she appears ready to talk about it.

"So Orihime… how have you been since I have been since I last left the world of the living?" Rukia asked trying to maintain the conversation during their somewhat length walk.

"Oh I've been great!" Orihime chirped, giving a big smile as she looked at Rukia.

"Glad to hear it Orihime." Rukia said, releasing a light chuckle at the reaction Orihime had to her question.

"Anything new been happening?" Rukia asked, continuing the conversation.

Orihime began to tap her chin deep in thought, as if trying to think if anything of note had occurred.

'_Now let's see something new that's happened…' _Orihime trailed off in thought, causing Rukia to sweat drop.

"Ummm… Orihime?" Rukia asked, after about two minutes of watching Orihime tap her chin in thought, thus breaking Orihime out of her daze.

"Oh sorry Rukia…" Orihime apologized as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

'_She is obviously hiding something but what it is I don't know.' _Rukia thought as she gave Orihime a calculating stare.

"Are you sure you're okay Orihime?" Rukia asked in a serious tone, as if implying that Orihime was, infract, hiding something.

"I… never mind… its nothing." Orihime replied, causing Rukia to frown at her response.

"Orihime you know you can tell me anything right?" Rukia asked, getting a nod as a response.

"It-it's nothing really." Orihime stuttered out, causing Rukia to sigh.

"Orihime you need to talk about whatever it is that is bothering you." Rukia began, as they both stopped dead in their tracks directly before a crosswalk.

'_Judging from when she started to seem sad I'm guessing that this has to do with Ichigo.' _Rukia thought correctly as she began to wonder how to get her to talk about it.

"You've been this way since we left Urahara's shop." Rukia observed, causing Orihime to break her eye contact with her as if she was uncomfortable with her gaze.

"So I'll ask again Orihime. What is bothering you?" Rukia asked once more, determined to get a real answer.

"I told you I'm fine… really." Orihime said with a sad smile.

"Orihime…" Rukia trailed off, now knowing for a fact that she was being disingenuous.

"I-it's just that…" Orihime began as she became unable to keep a smile on her face and adopted a slight frown.

"Back in the park I couldn't do anything…" Orihime continued.

"I wasn't strong enough to do anything… maybe if I was I could have done something." Orihime stated, causing Rukia to frown at the way she was thinking.

"If I was strong maybe Ichigo wouldn't have become that thing." Orihime added as her frown deepened.

"I don't want to be a burden to him, I want to help." Orihime said as tears started to form in her eyes.

'_So it's just as I though… she blames herself.' _Rukia thought sadly as she heard what had Orihime so distraught.

"Orihime what happened to Ichigo is not your fault, it's not Chad's, it's not mine, and it's not even the arrancar's fault." Rukia stated trying to calm Orihime.

"It's just that… that I can't stand being weak. I-I just want to help, I don't want to be a burden." Orihime said between sobs, tears openly flying out of her eyes.

"No matter how much I try to convince myself that I couldn't have stopped what happened…" Orihime began, tears still flowing from her eyes.

"I just can't stop blaming myself." Orihime exclaimed.

"What would Ichigo tell you if he heard you say those things?" Rukia asked, causing Orihime to stop crying.

"He… he would tell me not to worry… he would tell me it wasn't my fault and that I worry too much." Orihime replied as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. She began to form a slight smile on her lips as she began to think of all the things Ichigo would say just to comfort her.

"How badly do you want to become stronger Orihime?" Rukia questioned, gaining the attention of Orihime.

"More than anything, I want to help in the war." Orihime said with determination in her voice, eliciting a nod of understanding Rukia.

"Alright then come with me…" Rukia began as Orihime went wide eyed at what she said.

"T-to the Soul Society?" Orihime questioned, getting a nod as a response.

"But I can't just leave the world of the living." Orihime said mostly to herself.

"What would I tell my friends?" Orihime wondered aloud as she began to seriously consider Rukia's offer.

"Orihime…" Rukia began, breaking her out of thought.

"If you want to become stronger I will help you. Come with me and we can become stronger together." Rukia finished, causing Orihime to gain an expression of deep thought.

"Alright Rukia I'll do it." Orihime stated, deadest on getting stronger so that she would no longer burden Ichigo.

'_For Ichigo.' _Orihime thought as she gave her final answer to Rukia.

"Glad to hear it Orihime, your skills will be extremely useful in the coming war." Rukia stated, attempting to further assure Orihime that she was making a good decision.

"When do we leave?" Orihime questioned, curious as to how much time she had left in the world of the living to say he goodbyes.

"Well I still haven't received my orders. The Soul Society should send someone to order my return at which point we will leave." Rukia replied. Orihime nodded at this before the two once again faced the crosswalk and began to wait for the light to turn.

"How long will that b…" Orihime began to ask before her eyes were covered by a certain busty Soul Reaper Lieutenant.

"Guess who Orihime?!" Rangiku chirped as Hitsugaya came up from down the street.

"Rangiku!" Orihime chirped as she began jumping for joy.

"Are you quite done with your goofing off Rangiku?" Hitsugaya asked as a tick mark appeared on his forehead, obviously being annoyed with Rangiku's antics.

"Oh come on Captain, I was only having some fun." Rangiku whined as she began to pout in an overdramatic fashion.

"You really need to lighten up!" Rangiku chirped, seemingly changing her mood in an instance, much to the annoyance of her captain.

"No need to annoy the Captain any more than you already have Rangiku." Renji stated upon observing Hitsugaya's annoyance, as he Ikkaku and Yumichika joined the group.

"Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, what are you all doing here? Why are you wearing school uniforms?" Rukia asked with wide eyes, not expecting so many Soul Reapers to be present in the town.

"You will be informed as to why we are here once you return to the Soul Society. For now you are to return to the Soul Society upon you giving us your report." Hitsugaya stated, not wanting to waste any time.

"Alright… but you're not going to like this." Rukia stated as she began to frown, causing Hitsugaya to raise an eyebrow out of curiosity.

'_What could have possibly happened?' _Hitsugaya wondered.

"As you already know two arrancar showed up in Karakura Town earlier today…" Rukia began earning nods from her fellow Soul Reapers.

"They were confronted by Yasutora Sado and Ichigo Kurosaki…" Rukia continued as her frown deepened.

"Yasutora Sado was injured but has recovered and is conscious. Last that we saw him he was at Urahara's shop. Ichigo on the other hand was not so lucky and was badly injured." Rukia stated earning a gasp from Rangiku and wide eyes from everyone else, with the exception of Orihime.

'_What?' _The Soul Reapers all thought in shock.

"Is he okay?" Rangiku asked with a worried expression, beating the other Soul Reapers to the question.

"Yes he is fine…" Rukia stated causing the group to release a collective sigh of relief.

"But he is currently unconscious at Urahara's Shop and is being watched over until he is completely recovered." Rukia added.

"How extensive were his injuries?" Hitsugaya asked, curious as to the condition of the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"His physical injuries are minimal and by now are completely healed… but…" Rukia trailed off not sure how to explain what had happened.

'_How on earth am I going to explain what happened to them?' _Rukia wondered, as she allowed several moments of silence to pass.

'_What could have happened that's making her hesitate?' _Hitsugaya wondered noticing Rukia's hesitation.

"Yes Rukia what is it? Why is Ichigo unconscious?" Renji asked concerned as to why his friend had difficulty voicing whatever it is she was thinking.

"You could say that he is unconscious because of some… unforeseen difficulties." Rukia replied causing all of the Soul Reapers to grow confused, and Orihime to wince slightly.

"What do you mean by that Rukia?" Renji questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Ichigo… is unconscious because he lost a lot of his strength… but not because of his fight with the arrancar." Rukia answered cryptically, causing her fellow Soul Reapers to grow even further confused.

"If it wasn't because of them then what was the reason?" Rangiku asked in a serious tone, dropping her usual goofy, chirpy, demeanor.

"Ichigo has an inner hollow." Rukia stated, as a collective gasp could be heard coming from the Soul Reapers in the group that were currently unaware, meaning everyone but Renji.

"What the hell is an inner hollow?" Ikkaku questioned, obviously being lost as far as Rukia's explanation was concerned.

"An inner hollow is a being that resides within one's Soul. It is supposedly a separate entity from the spirit of a zanpakuto." Rukia explained.

"A major problem arises due to this because Ichigo's inner hollow has made repeated attempts to take control of Ichigo's body. Though, up until this point nothing so drastic had happened." Rukia added.

"He lost his strength in the battle for control over his body…" Rukia began, as Orihime frowned at the memory of Ichigo becoming such a monstrous creature before her very eyes.

"Why it happened I don't know, but Urahara believes that it was the strain from using too much powered coupled with a nasty hit he received from a large arrancar." Rukia explained as the Soul Reapers' expressions became solemn due to the seriousness of the conversation.

'_This could prove to be a problem… better we find out about this once we arrive at Urahara's shop.' _Hitsugaya thought as he absorbed the news Rukia had just delivered.

"I see… now what of the strength of the arrancar that were here?" Hitsugaya asked, wanting to change the topic of conversation for the time being.

"I was told that they were easily of captain level." Rukia stated causing Hitsugaya to grimace as his worst fears were realized.

'_That is what I was afraid of.' _Hitsugaya thought, worrying about the potential threat.

"Had the larger arrancar been at full power, I was informed that he undoubtedly could have given Urahara and Yoruichi trouble." Rukia said with a serious tone, not taking the gravity of this information lightly.

"But the smaller arrancar was strong enough to deflect one of Urahara's most powerful attacks effortlessly. I was told that if they had fought the city could very well have been in great danger." Rukia stated, causing the Soul Reapers to go wide eyed at the realization of their enemies strength.

'_If she did witness their full power she could give us insight as to what we would be up against should we encounter arrancar during our stay.' _Hitsugaya thought as he absorbed what Rukia had just said.

"You said full power… did one of them use their Resurreción?" Hitsugaya questioned, curious as to if she could provide any information on an arrancar's most enigmatic technique.

"Excuse me Captain?" Rukia asked with a look of confusion on her face.

"Resurreción… did you witness it?" Hitsugaya questioned again, hoping that Rukia had misheard the question.

"What is this Resurreción?" Rukia asked, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Never mind…" Hitsugaya sighted, realizing that Rukia had obviously not witnessed what he was referring to.

"You will be briefed upon your return to the Soul Society." Hitsugaya stated in a tone of slight disappointment due to the fact that he had not obtained the information he sought.

"You are to return to the Soul Society and go about your duties until you are otherwise told to do so." Hitsugaya ordered.

"The rest of us are on our way to Urahara's Shop where we will check up on Ichigo and report to him our orders." Hitsugaya stated, causing Rukia to nod in response.

"Alright Orihime let's get going." Rukia said as she turned to look at Orihime, who had a slightly nervous expression on her face.

'_So soon…' _Orihime thought, being slightly saddened that she wouldn't get to say goodbye to Ichigo before she left.

"Alright let's go." Orihime replied with a sad smile immediately before the departure of the two was halted by an abrupt question.

"Wait you're going to the Soul Society? For what purpose?" Hitsugaya questioned, being confused as to why Orihime would go to the Soul Society.

"She wishes to be stronger so she can participate in the coming war captain." Rukia explained in a calm voice, answering the question for Orihime.

"Well since you seem to be leaving…" Hitsugaya began in a sheepish tone.

"Would it be at all possible that we use your residence as a command center for our stay in the world of the living?" Hitsugaya questioned, hopeful that the answer would be yes.

"Of course you may stay at my house…" Orihime said, causing Hitsugaya to give her a slight bow at her generosity.

"…but may I ask you to do something for me while I'm gone?" Orihime questioned, her expression becoming slightly saddened.

"Yes of course, what is it Orihime?" Rangiku asked in a serious tone.

"Can you… can you say goodbye to Ichigo for me. I won't really have the chance." Orihime asked sheepishly.

"Actually I would appreciate it if you could say hello to Ichigo for me as well Captain." Rukia said, piling on to Orihime's request.

"Of course we can do that for you…" Hitsugaya began before turning towards the direction Urahara's shop was.

"Now we really must be going, thank you for the use of your home. I promise that it will be in just as good a shape as you left it." Hitsugaya stated, not wanting to make Orihime regret allowing them to use her home.

"No problem… and thank you for saying goodbye to Ichigo for me… it means a lot." Orihime replied in a serious tone.

"Alright Orihime let's get going." Rukia said, grabbing Orihime by the wrist and dragging her to the park.

"Right, bye Rangiku! Don't shop too much without me!" Orihime chirped as Rukia dragged her towards the park.

"Don't worry I won't!" Rangiku replied, becoming overjoyed at the mention of shopping.

"If you're quite done now we need to get going." Hitsugaya stated, wanting to stay on task.

_**Karakura Town Park (Several Minutes Later) **_

"Alright Orihime are you ready to leave?" Rukia asked, looking at Orihime to ensure that this is what she wanted.

"Yes Rukia… I'm ready." Orihime responded with determination in her voice.

"Are you sure Orihime?" Rukia questioned in a serious tone, wanting to make sure Orihime was not making this decision halfheartedly.

"Stop worrying Rukia. This was your idea after all." Orihime replied, confused as to why Rukia wanted to make sure she wanted to do this.

"Alright let's go." Rukia stated as she unsheathed her sword.

"Now open." Rukia commanded as she stabbed her sword into the air in front of her and opened up the gates to the Soul Society.

"Stay close Orihime." Rukia advised before entering the intricate gate.

"Right." Orihime replied as she began to walk into the Senkaimon behind Rukia.

_**Soul Society: Other end of the Senkaimon **_

"It's been a while since I've been here" Orihime stated as she exited the Senkaimon and began to look around the Soul Society.

"The place certainly hasn't changed that much." Orihime added as an afterthought.

"Alright Orihime are you ready to get stronger?" Rukia questioned in a serious tone, breaking Orihime out of her sightseeing.

"So soon?" Orihime questioned, not thinking they were would start training so shortly after arriving.

"The war is coming Orihime…" Rukia began with a tone of urgency.

"You don't have much time… we don't have much time. We can't afford to waste any of it." Rukia stated, getting a nod from Orihime.

"Since your ready let's get going… I know just the place to start." Rukia said as she began to walk towards one of the squad's barracks with Orihime in toe.

_**Karakura Town: Urahara's Shop**_

In the medical room Urahara watches over Ichigo's unconscious body as it begins to stir, showing signs of his waking up.

"Yoruichi he's waking up!" Urahara yelled alerting Yoruichi of Ichigo's condition.

No sooner than he said that had Yoruichi instantly appeared via flash step.

"I'm right here Kisuke no need to shout." Yoruichi joked causing Urahara to deadpan.

"Why do I even bother?" Urahara questioned more to himself than to Yoruichi.

Ichigo's body began to stir until the point that his upper body shot off of the bed with his eyes widened.

"Ichigo are you alright?" Yoruichi asked with worry as Ichigo appeared to be frightened out of his mind as he shot up from the bed.

"Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked in a confused tone, not being aware of his current location.

"Settle down Ichigo, no need to be so high stung." Urahara said in a joking tone.

"Urahara? What am I doing here?" Ichigo questioned still having no idea what was going on.

"What exactly do you remember Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked, noticing Ichigo's confusion.

'_I remember the park…' _Ichigo thought as he rubbed his head.

"I remember…" Ichigo began, grimacing at his revelation.

"I remember being hit by that big arrancar, and I remember my hollow taking over." Ichigo said as he became visibly saddened.

"I lost control." Ichigo blurted out, as if chastising himself.

"It's not your fault Ichigo." Yoruichi said in a soft comforting voice in an attempt to lessen his worries.

"You couldn't help what happened to you, it's not something that you can control it's something you have to overcome." Yoruichi added, noticing that her comment had caused Ichigo to lighten up slightly.

"That still doesn't give me an excuse for losing control, what would have happened if that thing went on a rampage? What if it hurt Chad, Orihime, or even y…" Ichigo said before he was interrupted by the sound of the shop's bell, signaling that people had entered the shop.

"I wonder who that could…" Urahara began before getting the answer to his would-be question a moment later in the form of several Soul Reapers entering the medical room.

"Ichigo!" Rangiku chirped overjoyed that her favorite Substitute Soul Reaper was alive and kicking.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo thought as his head was pressed between Rangiku's breasts, effectively cutting off the flow of oxygen to his lungs.

"I was so worried. Rukia said that you were knocked out…" Rangiku cried as she began to squeeze Ichigo even harder.

"Rangiku!" Hitsugaya shouted in an attempt to alert her that she was currently suffocating Ichigo.

"And I wasn't going to have anyone to shop with…" Rangiku continue, still not ceasing her hold on Ichigo.

"Rangiku!" Yoruichi practically yelled out at the top of her lungs, noticing Ichigo's skin began to change colors.

"And no one would be able to carry my bags and I'd be so bored…" Rangiku added before being alerted to what she was doing.

"RAGIKU!" Everyone in the room yelled bringing her attention to them.

"Huh?" Rangiku asked confused as to why they wanted her attention, oblivious to what she was doing.

"He does need air ya know." Renji stated as he pointed to Ichigo with his index figure.

"Oops." Rangiku said sheepishly as she released Ichigo, causing him to fall on the bed,, once more being unconscious.

"Awwwww he's unconscious again. No fair!" Rangiku whined.

"If you hadn't suffocated him with your breasts he would still be conscious." Yoruichi growled, clenching her fist as a tick mark appeared on her forehead.

"Settle down everyone… Ichigo still needs rest anyway." Urahara stated trying to calm everyone as he took specific note that Yoruichi was upset, something that was never good for his wellbeing.

"Why exactly are you here Captain Hitsugaya?" Urahara questioned as he turned to face the captain and the group of Soul Reapers.

"Our immediate assignment is to assess the situation involving the arrancar, after which we are to remain here in Karakura town and defend it from any…unwanted guests." Hitsugaya answered, guessing that Urahara could infer from context what he meant.

'_That would at least explain the Gigai and the uniforms_.' Urahara and Yoruichi thought similarly.

"Therefore I have a question for you Urahara…" Hitsugaya began, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Did you see the arrancar use Resurreción?" Hitsugaya questioned, hopeful that the scientist would know what he was talking about.

"Use what now?" Urahara asked as he scratched his head in confusion, causing Hitsugaya to sigh in mild annoyance.

"I see… well I may as well tell you this information so I do not have to relay it to Kurosaki when he awakens…" Hitsugaya mused.

"That is if he is not suffocated by a certain someone." Hitsugaya said as he sent a glare at his Lieutenant, who released a nervous giggle in response.

"We have gathered a good amount of intelligence on the arrancar from our end in the Soul Society." Hitsugaya began, causing Urahara to nod as a sign for him to continue.

"From what we have learned arrancar seal their power in their blades, much like a Soul Reaper seals his or her Shikai in a standard blade. Once the swords are released the true power of an arrancar is shown." Hitsugaya explained causing Urahara to rub his chin as if deep in thought at the captain's words.

"So you're saying that these things can become more powerful than they first appear…" Urahara guessed, grimacing at what the power of the arrancar he faced before would have been.

"Exactly, and more than this we have information that Aizen has assembled the ten strongest arrancar in a group called the Espada…" Hitsugaya began.

"From what I have been told it would appear that at least one member of the Espada was here in Karakura earlier today." Hitsugaya concluded.

"How is it that Aizen knows of the ranking of the top ten arrancar?" Yoruichi questioned, curious as to what indicated the strength of one of the Espada.

"From the test subjects that were examined by the Department of Research and Development, we can tell that the rank of an arrancar is given to then in the form of a number. This number is a nexus of the arrancar's spiritual pressure, a spot on their body at which it concentrates. The area on their body that has that has the highest concentration of their reishi becomes the spot where the number forms. This is how the arrancar are ranked." Hitsugaya answered, eliciting nods from Yoruichi and Urahara as they listened to his explanation.

"Did you manage to see the ranking of either of the two arrancar that appeared in Karakura Town earlier today?" Hitsugaya asked, wanting to gauge the strength of their opponents.

"Unfortunately…" Urahara began as he let out a sight.

"We didn't see their numbers, which could have been on purpose but it's hard to say." Urahara replied.

"I see… then there is no way to tell if the enemies you faced were even Espada class." Hitsugaya stated in a disappointed voice.

"They were strong, that much we could tell… but it's too risky to assume that they were Espada class. Whatever Aizen has up his sleeve we best be prepared for." Yoruichi stated, reinforcing her point of needing to be prepared.

"Whatever the case may be you must inform Kurosaki of this once he wakes." Hitsugaya stated as he turned his back and made to leave.

"Come on we're leaving." Hitsugaya ordered as he began to exit the building.

"Awwwww but I wanna talk to Ichigo!" Rangiku whined, causing a tick mark to appear on Hitsugaya's head.

"If you hadn't knocked him out with your chest, you could have." Yumichika chided, earning a slap on the back of the head from Rangiku.

"Shut up Yumichika!" Rangiku exclaimed as she began to follow her Captain.

"Where are you all staying?" Urahara questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…" Renji began, prompting Urahara to turn to face him.

"They are staying at Orihime's house because she and Rukia left for the Soul Society in order to train." Renji stated, expecting a surprised reaction to the news.

"I see." Urahara said as if he expected this to happen.

"I was actually planning to crash her for a bit…if it's no imposition." Renji stated, hopeful that he wouldn't have to room with the other four.

"No imposition at all Renji. However…" Urahara began, causing Renji to grimace at what Urahara would add.

'_There's always a catch.' _Renji thought before Urahara continued.

"I am going to need you for some training I have to be doing as well as some…other errands that need attending in the near future." Urahara said as he began to wave his fan over the grin he now sported.

'_Well I guess it won't be that bad…' _Renji thought as he released a sigh.

"Alright Urahara you've got a deal." Renji said as he made to set himself up in a room.

"Oh wait I should tell you Rukia asked that we say hello to Ichigo for her since she wouldn't get the chance to. Orihime also asked that we say goodbye to Ichigo for her but I'm thinking that would be better suited for you to do." Renji said in an attempt to pass the buck to Urahara.

'_Perfect timing.' _Urahara thought as his grin widened.

"Oh one more thing Renji. Ichigo will be staying with us so you're going to have to sleep on the couch…sorry about that." Urahara added.

"What!" Renji yelled, not happy that he would be sharing the shop with Ichigo as well.

"Now what kind of a reaction is that to Kisuke's hospitality Renji?" Yoruichi lightly chided in a joking tone, causing Renji to sight in defeat.

"Lousy, cheap, good for nothing…" Renji grumbled incoherently as he headed for the couch that was to be his bead for the foreseeable future.

"Now what Kisuke?" Yoruichi questioned after Renji had left the room.

"I'm beat Yoruichi. Ichigo will prolly be asleep till morning anyway." Urahara replied through a yawn.

"Just go to sleep and we'll deal with it in the morning." Urahara stated as he left for his room.

"Good night Yoruichi." Urahara said as his voice became faint due to his distance from this room increasing.

"Good night." Yoruichi said as she shut the lights to the room off after taking one last look at Ichigo's resting body.

'_Rest well Ichigo.' _Yoruichi thought as she began walking towards her own room so as to get some sleep herself.

**A/N That's the end of this chapter, again chapter four will be posted tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed this one and feel free to message me with questions or ask them in reviews. Also here are the responses to the reviews I received from first to last (In that order)**

**Rei Rusuragi**: TY for being the first review of this story! I hope you like this chapter and the ones to come.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Thank you for the compliments, I take pride in the fact that the story seems to flow well.

: Already changed the title to likely future Ichigo/Harem, which at this point it will be, though I will not reveal who's in it, but I MAY leave hints for you to guess… or not.

**Arrankor**: Thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter.

**Mas2009**: Can't answer that question because it gives away too much of the plot, regardless if your right or not, which I can't even say in my answer xD

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks for the review, well now you know what happens next and you will know more tomorrow.

**EyeHeartOC's**: I do have one planned… but it's a ways off.

**BleachFan21**: Thank you for complimenting the plot/creativity of the story… I think.

**Guest (1)**: Can't say she will, can't say she won't. Again no spoilers but you can choose what to believe.

**TheEvilEye**: For the record I am pretty well versed with the Manga for Bleach, feel free to ask any question you want to. In regards to Ichigo's powers I'm not quite sure what you're asking so please elaborate.

**Guest (2)**: Thank you!

**Guest (3)**: Well now you know what he said, but it was more for the purpose of revealing that the rest of the plot kind of deviates from what normally happens.

**Guest (4)**: I know of the recent twist to Ichigo being basically everything. However, I will say that for this story that won't really matter too, too much but you'll see what I mean by chapter 15ish.

**yoruichifan**: Thanks, given your name I may as well say Yoruichi will be a major character in this story, as will many of the Soul Reapers.

**S.R.457**: Thanks, your compliment means a lot to me!

**IchiFan109**: Somewhat, like the spiritual pressure swirling around him and the partial transformation bit. Mainly because when he fights the vizards he doesn't really go through a rapid transformation.

**Guest (5)**: Much obliged.


	4. Intentions Revealed

**A/N Okay so here is a brief snippet of information on the story. One of the reviews mentioned the cannon. I will be keeping several events form the show and canon but at an accelerated rate, because TBH it was Ichigo fighting Grimmjow, then getting hollow powers than a one month time skip, then stuff happened. Secondly, thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, or followd. The story has gotten really good feedback so far and I'm pretty happy about it. I recently went over a few errors for CH1 and CH2 and have modified them slightly so that the grammar is better and hopeful there are less mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own bleach, its characters, and I make no money off of this. (PS someone tell me if I have to write this at the beginning of every chapter)

For this chapter: "**Hollow Ichigo speaking**" and I changed the scene changed to bold and italic, let me know if it was better prior to the change.

**Chapter 4**

_**Ichigo's Dreamscape**_

'_What's going on? Where am I?' _Ichigo wondered as he found himself in the middle of an unknown forest.

"Is this in Karakura town?" Ichigo asked aloud as he looked around at the forest.

"**You really don't know where this is?**" Ichigo's inner hollow questioned before breaking into a fit of maniacal laughter.

"Bastard, why are you here?" Ichigo barked, causing his white self to cease his laughter.

"**Heh, isn't it obvious… I'm here to take control of your body.**" Ichigo's inner hollow yelled, causing Ichigo to fall to his knees as he felt his hollow began to fight for control briefly, before abruptly stopping.

'_Dammit if this keeps up…' _Ichigo thought before being interrupted.

"**If this keeps up what?**" Ichigo's inner hollow questioned, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in shock.

"**You're so easy to figure out… when I'm done with you you'll be even more scared. I'm going to get closer and closer to you, and not just day by day, oh no, it's going to happen much faster than that… hehehehe… see I'm even closer to you now then I was a moment ago.**" Ichigo's inner hollow stated.

"**I'm going to get closer and closer to you until I swallow you up and then… then you'll disappear.**" The hollow continued.

"Shut up!" Ichigo roared in defiance.

"**Things aren't turning out well for you at all are they?**" Ichigo's inner hollow questioned rhetorically.

"Dammit I said shut up!" Ichigo roared once more.

"**Hehehehehehehe… see ya around.**" The hollow said as he began to fade away.

_**Urahara's Shop (Morning Time)**_

Ichigo's upper body bolted away from his makeshift bead, breathing heavily as beads of sweat covered his face.

'_I can't go on like this… I need to do something.' _Ichigo thought as he wiped the sweat off his face.

"Good morning Ichigo!" Urahara chirped as he walked through the door, followed by Yoruichi, who was currently in cat form.

"Morning Urahara, Yoruichi, what happened? The last thing I remember…" Ichigo trailed off, trying to remember what happened the previous night after he had come out of his rest.

'_Dammit.' _Ichigo thought as he recalled being strangled to death between Rangiku's breasts. At the memory a light blush began to form on his cheeks, something that was immediately noticed by Yoruichi.

"So that's the first thing you think of? My, my Ichigo, who knew you were such a pervert." Yoruichi teased, as she noticed Ichigo's blush.

"Shut up Yoruichi!" Ichigo yelled, the blush on his face still not fading.

"Moving on…" Urahara said, wanting to move on to the inevitable conversation.

"I'm sure you have questions as to what happened Ichigo… if you have any now would be the time to ask." Urahara stated, trying to stay on point.

"Well for starters… who or what were those things, they had hollow holes but they also had zanpakuto, so were they vizards?" Ichigo questioned, more curious as to what he was fighting than what happened during the fight.

"Well for starters no they are not vizards, they were arrancar…" Urahara began, causing Ichigo to make to speak, but before he could Urahara continued.

"An arrancar is a hollow that has torn off its mask and managed to gain soul reaper powers, prior to Aizen, they were few and imperfect… but if the events of yesterday are any indication they are now complete and very deadly." Urahara explained.

"More importantly an arrancar seals its power in the zanpakuto that it wields, once they release their swords they take on their true form and become even more powerful, this is called a Resurreción." Urahara continued as Ichigo went wide eyed at the implication that the arrancar he fought could become even stronger.

"The arrancar are all given numbers that indicate their rank, the top ten of which are called the Espada…" Urahara stated, continuing his explanation.

"From what we were told, the lower the number the stronger the arrancar… we however still do not know if the arrancar that traveled here yesterday were Espada." Yoruichi said, imputing her share of the information.

"I see… then we still don't know the strength of our enemies." Ichigo stated as he began to frown. A moment of silence passed as Urahara really couldn't debate that statement as of yet.

"What happened during the battle?" Ichigo abruptly asked.

'_Something tells me it wasn't exactly good.' _Ichigo thought as he noticed Urahara and Yoruichi frown upon his question being asked.

"How much do you remember?" Yoruichi asked in a voice of slight concern.

"I remember cutting off that big guy's arm, and I remember fighting my hollow for control… other than that it's a blank." Ichigo replied in all seriousness.

"I see… well when your hollow took over you took on a hollow's appearance… you were so far transformed that I thought you…" Urahara began before he stopped himself from continuing, noticing the glare that Yoruichi was sending at him.

'_If looks could kill…' _Urahara thought, considering what he should say next.

Urahara coughed several times before continuing with his explanation as to what happened during Ichigo's fight.

"Long story short you ended up beating the big guy pretty badly… but before you could do anything to the smaller arrancar you regained control of your body. However it came at a cost. Yoruichi and I stepped in just in time to save you from being squashed by one pissed off arrancar, they left before we could continue the fight." Urahara stated, pleased that he had stopped himself from absentmindedly pissing off Yoruichi.

"Okay… so next question… why is it that there are Soul Reapers are here?" Ichigo questioned, confused as to why Rangiku and the others were at the shop last night in the first place.

"Well they were here to give orders to Rukia and t…" Urahara began before he was cut off.

"Rukia is here?!" Ichigo asked in surprise.

"Yes, but I'll get to that in a minute. For now sit down and shut up!" Urahara commanded, causing Ichigo to nod in response.

"They were sent here to get a report from Rukia, who was sent here to gather information on the arrancar that were appeared yesterday. They are also here to remain stationed so that they can protect Karakura from any other… unwanted visitors." Urahara explained, guessing that Ichigo could infer from context what he meant.

"Now as for Rukia, she Orihime and Chad were present when we brought you back here to the shop to recover after your whole becoming unconscious thing…" Urahara began.

"She did ask us to say hello to you as she was sent back to the Soul Society to train and await further instructions. In addition to this she brought Orihime there to train and become stronger." Urahara said, causing Ichigo's eyes to nearly pop out of his head.

"Wha-what s-sh-s-she what?" Ichigo stuttered out, shocked that Orihime would do something like that.

Urahara simply let out a sigh, not happy at the amount of explaining that he would have to be doing today.

"Okay… firstly Orihime believes that she is somewhat responsible for what happened to you… and before you say anything yes she was told that wasn't true, but she even so she wanted to become stronger, something I think would have happened regardless." Urahara explained, noticing Ichigo's look of confusion subside as he finished.

'_It's just like her to blame herself. Still it's good that she wants to become stronger.' _Ichigo thought sadly.

"Chad as well believes that he was too weak and wishes for me to train him, which I accepted so he should be here shortly…I expect you not to be surprised that this is happening an…" Urahara said before he was cut off by someone entering the room.

"Yo Ichigo." Renji greeted in a calm voice from the doorway.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Ichigo asked, pure confusion written all over his face.

"Will you let me get through one explanation?!" Urahara yelled, being irritated at how often he needed to gather his thoughts. Renji, noticing Urahara's frustration, decided to slowly back out of the room.

"Alright… so where was I?" Urahara thought aloud as he tapped his chin.

"Chad…" Yoruichi said, reminding Urahara as to where he left off.

"Oh yeah… thanks… Chad will be training here in the shop. Renji will be helping him out." Urahara continued.

"Renji will be staying here at the shop, while the other Soul Reapers were given permission to stay at Orihime's, so if you want to visit them and or suffocate in a way befitting a man… then feel free to pay them a visit." Urahara teased causing a tick mark to appear on both Yoruichi and Ichigo's heads simultaneously.

"Pervert." Ichigo muttered.

"Urahara this… inner hollow… it's becoming too big a problem I need to go to the vizards now, I… I can't let this go on." Ichigo stated causing the mood of the conversation to become serious again.

"Now hold your horses Ichigo. You'll go train with the vizards in due time…one month to be exact." Urahara stated causing Ichigo to grow confused again.

"The hell are you talking about Hat N' Clogs?" Ichigo asked, not knowing of Urahara's plan.

"They visited us yesterday asking us to hand you over so you could deal with your inner hollow… you, however, are not yet strong enough to face him… therefore myself and Yoruichi are going to be training you for the next month, after which you will be handed over to the vizards and learn to tame your hollow." Urahara explained.

"So when do I start?" Ichigo asked, determination being present in his eyes.

'_I have to become stronger if I want this to be put behind me.' _Ichigo thought.

"Hold on Ichigo… I still have yet to tell your father about this whole thing with you remaining here… don't worry I'll come up with something in the meantime just rest." Urahara replied, still amazed by the determination the boy was able of showing.

"Did I forget anything Yoruichi?" Urahara asked as he turned to his oldest friend, who was still in her cat form.

"Two things Kisuke, how we will be training him, and what Orihime requested." Yoruichi replied.

"Oh yeah… well Orihime requested that we say goodbye to you for her she wanted to make sure that she was able to do so one way or another." Urahara said, causing Ichigo to smile.

"As for how you will be trained… I have to go on a supply run for the shop in two weeks' time, and since the distance I travel to get these supplies is quite far away, it takes me two weeks…" Urahara began, noticing that Ichigo did not understand what he was getting at.

"So I will train you for the first two weeks and Yoruichi will train you the second two." Urahara explained, eliciting a nod of understanding from Ichigo.

"Alright… so that about covers all the explaining I have to do to Ichigo… well I'm off to the Kurosaki residence!" Urahara chirped as he clapped his hands together and made for the door.

"Oh and Yoruichi, when Chad gets here just send him off to the training grounds and have him spar with Renji to improve his strength and speed… also tell Renji that he should use his Bankai if he thinks Chad can handle it." Urahara said as he left the shop.

"Alright Kisuke." Yoruichi replied, shifting her gaze to Ichigo after Urahara exited the room.

"What?" Ichigo questioned, noticing that Yoruichi was staring at him.

"You're such and idiot, going into battle and getting tossed around like that." Yoruichi said in a frustrated tone.

"Wh-what?" Ichigo questioned with wide eyes.

"I hope you do realize that when it comes to my turn to train you I won't be going easy on you… your performance was inexcusable for someone that I trained." Yoruichi warned, causing the color of Ichigo's skin to pale.

'_I am so dead…' _Ichigo grimaced in thought.

The conversation between the two was interrupted as a man came into the room.

"Hey Ichigo, Yoruichi, is Urahara here?" Chad questioned.

"No Chad he is off on an errand, however he asked me to tell you to go find Renji and get him to spar with you… also since I need to stay here to watch over Ichigo…" Yoruichi said before being cut off.

"Hey! I don't need to be taken care off!" Ichigo yelled out in annoyance.

"Shut up Ichigo or do you want my training to be even more difficult?" Yoruichi threatened, causing Ichigo to immediately become quiet.

"Anyway… tell Renji that he should use his Bankai should be believe that you can handle it when you are sparring." Yoruichi finished, getting a nod from Chad before he left the room.

_**Orihime's House**_

A massive television like structure clings to life as the Soul Reapers prepare to make contact with the Soul Society.

"Alright is everyone ready?" Hitsugaya questioned, getting nods from all those present.

"Good, then all we need to do now is to wait for the connection to open up on the other end." Hitsugaya mused.

The device activated revealing the image of Head Captain Yamamoto in the squad one meeting room.

"Greetings Captain I trust your stay in the world of the living has been uninhibited thus far." Yamamoto stated his voice as authoritative and booming as ever.

"Yes sir, we have set up the communications relay successfully and there have been no disturbances since our arrival." Hitsugaya replied.

"I wish news on our end were as good as yours." The Head Captain said ominously, making Hitsugaya raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"What exactly do you mean sir?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"We have discovered what it was that Sosuke Aizen was searching for during his time in the Central 46 libraries." Yamamoto began.

'_Wouldn't that be considered good news?' _Hitsugaya wondered, though he would allow Yamamoto to finish speaking before he asked.

"Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake have recently discovered that Aizen researched the Oken, the key that unlocks the gateway to the dimension in which the royal family resides." Yamamoto finished, causing all those listening to go wide eyed.

"But how is that possible sir, only you know the location of the key." Hitsugaya stated, hoping that this would in fact be the case.

"Unfortunately Captain, the Oken can be created by sacrificing 100,000 souls that reside in an enriched spirit zone, the location of which changes every thousand or so years." Yamamoto replied.

"Even more unfortunate is the fact that we have determined the current enriched spirit zone to be Karakura Town itself." Yamamoto added, causing those listening to become completely shocked.

'_What?' _The Soul Reapers thought simultaneously.

"I will inform Lieutenant Abarai of this immediately Captain." Rangiku said before taking off to tell Renji exactly what was happening.

"Sir what are your orders?" Hitsugaya questioned, curious as to if this changed their directive.

"You are to remain where you are and carry out your current assignment, you are dismissed… but before we cease the connection there is someone who wishes to see you." The Head Captain began, causing Hitsugaya to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

'_Who could want to see me?' _Hitsugaya wondered.

"Bring her in!" Yamamoto bellowed, as the figure of a woman could be seen entering the room.

"Momo is that you?" Hitsugaya asked, hope reflecting in his eyes.

"Shiro…" Momo whispered quietly, before her legs became weak and division men had to help her stand.

"Momo." Hitsugaya exclaimed, worried for his friends health.

"She is alright Captain Hitsugaya. She will make a full recovery, something I thought you would wish to hear of." The Head Captain stated.

"Thank you sir if that is all I will continue with my duties in Karakura." Hitsugaya replied before the connection was ended and their briefing was over.

'_This situation continues to worsen by the day.' _Hitsugaya thought in frustration as he absorbed what he was just told.

'_At least Momo will be okay… that is the only good news I've heard in a long time.' _Hitsugaya thought as he allowed himself a genuine smile.

_**Soul Society Training Grounds of the 13**__**th**__** Division**_

Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake watch as Orihime and Rukia spar on the training grounds of the 13th division, admiring the skills that the young ladies were exhibiting.

"They seem to be improving quite a bit don't ya think Jushiro?" Kyoraku questioned as they watched the two sparing.

"Yes I would agree Shunsui… but I have to admit I was surprised by their request." Ukitake replied before taking a sip of his tea.

_**Flashback: Yesterday Night**_

Ukitake sat in her personal chambers meditating before a raucous alerted him to the presence of his two subordinates.

"I get to tell him!" Kiyone exclaimed

"No I do!" Sentaro exclaimed as the two began to fight over who would relay the information to their captain.

"No need to fight you two why don't you both tell me what it is you need to at the same time." Ukitake reasoned in his usual smooth tone.

"You have visitors." Kiyone and Sentaro replied in unison, before stepping aside to reveal Orihime and Rukia standing behind them.

"Oh hello Orihime, Rukia how good to see you again." Ukitake greeted with a smile.

"May I offer you a cup of tea?" Ukitake questioned, his smile never fading.

"N-no thanks, we… we need to ask you something." Orihime replied in a nervous tone, causing Ukitake to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, now what might that be?" Ukitake asked, curious as to what the request was.

"C-can… can you…" Orihime began before being cut off by Rukia.

"Sir we wish for you to open the training grounds." Rukia stated, hopeful that her captain would allow their request.

"Oh, may I ask why?" Ukitake questioned, his smile still gracing his features.

"We wish to train for the upcoming war." Orihime replied, her nervousness fading away as she answered the question.

"Well I suppose that could be arranged we don't really use it…" Ukitake stated as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Thank you very much." Rukia and Orihime said in unison before they headed off to the training grounds.

'_What was that about?' _Ukitake questioned as he watched the two girls head towards the training grounds.

_**Current Time: Squad 13 Training Grounds**_

"Well I reckon that they just want to get stronger for the upcoming war… you have told them about the key haven't you?" Kyoraku questioned as he looked over to his friend.

"Yes indeed I have… but it appears to have only made them train harder than they had prior to knowing. What could drive them to train so hard?" Ukitake questioned, as if thinking out loud.

"Well I have a few ideas…" Kyoraku trailed off with a smirk on his face, leaving his friend with a confused look at his unfinished explanation.

_**With Orihime and Rukia**_

"Hado Number 33, Sokatsui!" Rukia yelled, sending the wave of lighting like kido towards Orihime.

"Santen Kesshun." Orihime uttered as Rukia's destructive Hado came closer.

Rukia's attack was deflected easily by Orihime's shield, causing Rukia to grow proud at Orihime's progress in just a short amount of time.

"Great job Orihime, your shield is becoming stronger even after just a few hours of blocking my Hado." Rukia stated, causing Orihime to blush out of mild embarrassment.

"W-well it's not that great of an improvement." Orihime said sheepishly, as she rubbed the back of her head with her hand.

"Nonsense Orihime you were barely able to deflect that attack the first time I fired it. Now look at you." Rukia replied, trying to get her humble friend to take acknowledge her improvement.

"Now again…" Rukia ordered as she brought her hand up to cast another spell.

_**With Ukitake and Kyoraku**_

"Well would ya look at that. She's getting pretty strong with those shields of hers." Kyoraku observed.

"Indeed, with more practice she may develop powers even greater than the Hado and Bakudo that can be cast by a lieutenant level Soul Reaper." Ukitake stated.

'_Let's just hope your right Jushiro.' _Kyoraku thought as he continued to watch the two girls train.

_**World of the Living: Urahara's Shop**_

Ichigo sat at the table eating his breakfast, which Yoruichi had prepared for him after entering her real form. With him are Jinta and Ururu who are also eating breakfast having just woken up.

"Yo Ichigo, how does it feel to get your butt handed to ya by a hollow?" Jinta taunted, not able to resist the opportunity to take shots at the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"Shut up pint size." Ichigo retorted, causing a tick mark to appear on Jinta's head.

"Why you…" Jinta said before being cut off by the mod souls.

"Now, now, we mustn't go and fight amongst ourselves." Ririn chirped.

"Yes violence is just so terrible." Kurodo stated, agreeing with Ririn.

"Tch." Jinta grunted before getting up to leave.

"Wait for me Jinta." Ururu exclaimed as she too got up and left.

"You still hungry Ichigo? You were out for a while after all." Yoruichi asked as she noticed Ichigo finishing his food.

"Na I'm fine but I coul…" Ichigo began before he was cut off by a loud screech coming from a woman who had just entered the room.

"Eeeeeeeeeep Ichigo!" Rangiku chirped as she made to capture Ichigo in another death grip.

'_Oh crap!' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as the feeling of suffocating between her breasts entered his mind.

'_Oh no you don't! I'm the only one who gets to tease this strawberry.' _Yoruichi thought as she stepped in front of Rangiku effectively stiff arming her and sending her to the ground.

'_Close one.' _Ichigo thought as Rangiku fell, causing Ichigo let out a sigh of relief, happy that he wouldn't be fainting anytime soon.

"Ow… what gives Yoruichi?" Rangiku whined as recovered from falling on her rear.

"I'm sure Ichigo doesn't want to be suffocated again… he did just wake up after all." Yoruichi replied.

"I didn't think he minded being in between my breasts, do you Ichigo?" Rangiku asked in a teasing fashion causing Ichigo to blush and lose the ability to form complete sentences.

"I-I uhh y-you." Ichigo rambled before being slapped in the back of the head by Yoruichi, who appeared to be annoyed.

"Ow… what was that for?" Ichigo questioned, sending a glare at Yoruichi.

"It snapped you out of it didn't it?" Yoruichi retorted, sending her own glare right back at Ichigo.

"Whatever, anyway why are you hear Rangiku." Ichigo asked as he rubbed the back of his head where he had been slapped.

"Oh yeah almost forgot…" Rangiku replied as she released a nervous giggle.

"Actually I'm here to see Renji but I may just as well tell you and you can relay the information to him." Rangiku said with a smile before immediately changing her expression to one of absolute seriousness due to the gravity of the information she was asked to relay.

"You may want to listen it pertains directly to Karakura Town and its safety." Rangiku stated in a serious tine, gaining Ichigo's and Yoruichi's undivided attention.

"What is it Rangiku?" Yoruichi asked, noticing Rangiku's mood change.

"They found out what it is that Aizen was looking for when he was impersonating Central 46…" Rangiku began catching the attention of Ichigo and Yoruichi.

"He looked up the Oken… specifically how to create it…" Rangiku continued before Ichigo cut her off.

"What exactly is the Oken Rangiku and how does its creation affect this town?" Ichigo asked with a confused expression.

"The Oken is the key that unlocks the dimension that the Spirit King resides in…" Rangiku began.

'_Spirit King?' _Ichigo thought in confusion, having not been aware that one existed.

"The key can only be created by sacrificing 100,000 souls that reside in a spiritually enriched zone, the location of which changes every several hundred years or so…Ichigo the current enriched spiritual zone is Karakura town." Rangiku finished, causing both Ichigo and Yoruichi to widen their eyes in shock upon hearing this new information.

"I see… well very good then, I'll tell Renji myself Rangiku. Thank you for relaying this important information." Yoruichi said.

"No problem… oh and Ichigo…" Rangiku began, gaining Ichigo's attention.

"Maybe next time Yoruichi won't stop me." Rangiku said with a wink before leaving the shop, causing Ichigo to blush at her obvious implication.

'_Apparently I didn't hit him hard enough the first time.' _Yoruichi thought as a tick mark appeared on her head before she once again slapped Ichigo in the back of his head.

"Ow… Yoruichi wha…" Ichigo began before being cut off.

"You were doing it again." Yoruichi stated calmly, as Ichigo rubbed the back of his head.

'_Mental note, don't do stupid things in front of Yoruichi.' _Ichigo mentally noted, not wanting to be slapped in the head anytime soon.

"Yoruichi, who exactly is this Spirit King guy, I didn't even know the Soul Society had a king." Ichigo asked, having recovered from the slap he received moments ago.

"That is a better question for you to ask Kisuke when he returns. Regardless, he still doesn't know so once we tell him you may ask." Yoruichi responded.

'_Great more waiting.' _Ichigo thought as he released a sigh of annoyance.

"I must go relay this information to Renji, stay put Ichigo." Yoruichi said as she walked towards the underground training facility.

"Whatever." Ichigo mumbled, still annoyed at not knowing what was going on.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

Chad and Renji had been sparring since Chad had arrived and requested his help. Chad had been making steady progress in dealing with Renji's Shikai but had not yet forced him to release his Bankai.

"Now Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji yelled as he sent his Zanpakuto straight towards Chad.

'_I've got him.' _Chad thought as Renji sent his sword extending towards him.

Chad dodged with a movement to the right, evading the sword, and began to charge Renji in an attempt to land a blow on him.

"Good but not good enough!" Renji grunted as he swung his extended Zabimaru to his left in an attempt to send Chad hurling into a nearby rock formation. Renji's attempt was all for naught as Chad jumped up in the air to the other side of Renji's sword, rendering Renji unable to land a blow.

'_What?' _Renji though in disbelief as he saw Chad continue to charge him. Renji made a desperate attempt to bring his sword back from its extension but it was too late.

"El Directo!" Chad bellowed as he sent a large ball of concentrated blue spirit energy hurling towards Renji. As the blast connected Renji was sent flying into the rock formation directly behind him.

"Not bad Chad, first time you landed a hit one me. Unreal… in just a short amount of time you've already gotten used to fighting my Shikai." Renji praised, somewhat shocked at Chad's progress.

"Thanks." Chad replied in a calm voice, panting heavily as a result of his continuous spars with Renji.

"Not bad Chad." Yoruichi stated as she walked onto the training grounds.

"Yoruichi, what are you doing down here?" Renji asked with a confused expression.

"Why don't you take a break Chad, I need to speak with Renji about something." Yoruichi said, noticing how worn out Chad appeared to be.

"Alright." Chad responded as he walked over to a nearby bolder to catch his breath.

"So what's up Yoruichi?" Renji questioned.

"Well…" Yoruichi began.

_**Kurosaki Residence **_

'_I'm really not looking forward to this conversation.' _Urahara thought as he walked towards the door of the Kurosaki residence and knocked on the door.

"Yeah what do you want?" A small black haired girl asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Well good day to you little miss, I'm here to speak with your father. Is he in?" Urahara asked in his usual joking tone.

"Dad some creepy guy is here to see you." The girl yelled, causing Urahara to face fault at her calling him creepy.

"Who is it Karin?" A short girl with light brown hair asked her apparent sister.

"I don't know Yuzu but he says he's here to see dad." Karin replied in an uncaring tone.

"What is it my children?" A tall dark haired man in a doctor's coat asked in a goofy tone.

"Someone is here to see you dad." Yuzu replied in an upbeat tone.

"Whatever… I'm leaving to go play soccer." Karin stated as she walked out the door.

"Bye Karin, have fun." Yuzu chirped as she waved goodbye to her sister.

"Isshin we need to talk." Urahara stated in a serious tone, earning Isshin's attention.

"Yuzu honey, go to your room daddy has some…important business to discuss." Isshin stated in his goofy tone.

"Sure dad." Yuzu replied as she ran off to her room.

"What is it Kisuke?" Isshin questioned in a serious tone.

"Well…" Urahara began.

_**Halls of Las Noches **_

Aizen walks towards the chamber that houses the Hogyoku as he converses with Gin and Tosen.

"Well, well, Lord Aizen. To what do we owe the pleasure of seeing a demonstration of the Hogyoku?" Gin questioned, bearing his characteristic grin as the three walked towards the chambers.

"No occasion Gin, just a demonstration, that is all." Aizen replied, bearing a small smile of his own.

"You never did tell us what you intend to do about this whole Ichigo situation." Gin recalled, earning a look of irritation from Tosen.

"Gin it is not proper to question Lord Aizen." Tosen stated.

"I meant nothing by it Lord Aizen but you know lil ol' me… always curious." Gin replied, his grin still present.

"Personally I'm more curious about that interesting power that Orihime girl possesses, quite fascinating don't you think Lord Aizen?" Gin questioned, turning his head in Aizen's direction.

"Indeed, her powers are most interesting. She could be of great use to us, but as for what I intent do with the Kurosaki boy…" Aizen began, earning both Gin's and Tosen's attention.

"All will be revealed in due time." Aizen finished, leaving Gin and Tosen in an irritated and slightly confused state respectively.

'_This is going to be interesting... what does he have in mind?' _Gin wondered as they entered the chambers.

"Greeting my dear arrancar, today you have the treat of seeing a demonstration of the Hogyoku." Aizen greeted, smiling as he faced the arrancar present.

Aizen the turned to a glass box in the middle of the room, containing a small figure, resembling a child, wrapped in gauze.

"Now there is a secret to the Hogyoku that only those who have possessed it are aware of…" Aizen began as he grabbed the Hogyoku from its pedestal and held it towards the glass box.

"When the Hogyoku in its awakened state is joined with someone that has twice the spirit energy of a normal captain, for a short time, its full power is suddenly released." Aizen explained as the Hogyoku began to glow purple.

As the Hogyoku released a blast of spirit energy, the glass shattered and the gauze surrounding the small figure tore apart, revealing a human looking child, with blond hair and magenta colored eyes, and a hallow mast that resembled a crown placed atop his head.

"Can you tell me your name, new comrade?" Aizen questioned as he gazed upon the latest arrancar to be born.

"Wonderweiss… Wonderweiss Margela." The childlike arrancar replied.

'_The Hogyoku is at fifty percent, I can only imagine what its powers will be once it awakens further.' _Aizen thought in anticipation as he contemplated the full power of the Hogyoku.

"This concludes our little demonstration my dear arrancar you are all dismissed." Aizen stated in his usual smooth tone of voice.

'_The power of the Hogyoku does not belong in the hands of a Soul Reaper… such a disgrace… even now he believes himself to be our better, I shall show him the consequences of arrogance.' _A tall arrancar with blue hair thought as he exited the chambers that the demonstration had taken place.

**A/N So Wonderweiss is born, and other stuff is happening as well. The conversation with Urahara and Isshin will take place next chapter, as will the start of Ichigo's training just in case people were curious. **

**VGGoshiniki**: Thanks, and unless I decide to do a sequel, which may happen, the Vandereich will not make an appearance.

**S.R.457**: Thank you! Positive feedback is good motivation ^^

**Syynex**: Thanks for the review and thanks for the compliment! However, in terms of the minor mistakes, I proofread them prior but don't notice the mistakes somehow… I really, really, really hate to make those minor mistakes xD so in the future I will try to not make them.

**BleachFan21**: Thanks, and I hope you like the IchiRan in this chapter as well!

**Arrankor**: Ty for the review and the compliment once more!

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks, well here you go man hope you enjoy!

**Guest**: Odd to see that your review is placed ahead of the others but well here's chapter 4 and three was already posted!

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: As I explained in the into, specifically for this review, I won't blindly follow cannon but I twist it slightly, kind of like Wonderweiss's creation occurring this chapter. I try to make it flow well and this was the best way I could make it.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks for the review and a pleasure to have answered your question. As for the number or words written… idk just motivated I guess xD.


	5. Explanations

**A/N Just wanted to add one more chapter before next Tuesday so hope you enjoy this little chapter. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 5 **

_**Kurosaki Residence **_

"What is it Kisuke?" Isshin questioned in a serious tone.

"Well…" Urahara began.

"It's about your son Isshin…" Urahara trailed off.

"Spit it out Kisuke I'm… I'm already aware of his… dilemma with his inner hollow… if you're trying to sugarcoat it I'd rather you just be straight with me." Isshin stated, not wanting his old friend to beat around the bush.

"Alright, then in that case you are undoubtedly aware that the only way that he will be able defeat his inner hollow is by going to the vizards." Urahara said, earning a nod from Isshin.

"I also suspect that you sensed his spiritual pressure change when those arrancar entered Karakura Town yesterday." Urahara said, once again getting a nod as a response.

"The vizards did as well… they believed that since it appeared Ichigo was having trouble with his hollow that he would jump at an opportunity to be helped." Urahara continued.

"They approached Ichigo in his unconscious state while we were watching over him…" Urahara began, noticing Isshin's change in demeanor appear saddened.

"They did not take Ichigo so don't worry about that… but in order for them to not take him we had to make a compromise." Urahara continued.

"What exactly did you do Kisuke?" Isshin questioned with a raised eyebrow, not entirely thrilled at prospect of what Kisuke could come up with.

"Well… I kinda promised them that Yoruichi and I would hand Ichigo over in one month but only after we trained him for that amount of time… we made the argument that he had to be stronger in order to fight off his inner hollow… which is true, but you get why I was relieved when they accepted." Urahara responded, causing Isshin to quirk an eyebrow.

"I can also promise that this training will greatly improve his chances of fighting off his inner hollow once the time comes." Urahara added an attempt to reassure his friend.

"So you're telling me that…" Isshin began before being cut off.

"Yes… Ichigo will be staying with us… it also had the two fold purpose of us being able to make sure that his hollow isn't a problem." Urahara stated, causing Isshin to hang his head out of frustration.

"Even you have to admit that if his hollow gets out of control, it is a good thing that we would be close by to stop it from taking over if need be." Urahara stated, trying to reinforce his point.

'_I guess this was bound to happen…' _Isshin thought as he let out a sight.

"Very well Kisuke… Ichigo's wellbeing is very important to me… just make sure that he gets through this. I'm counting on you." Isshin said in a serious tone, getting a nod from Urahara in response.

'_I can't believe this went over as well as it did.' _Urahara thought in disbelief, having expected resistance on Isshin's part.

"You're making the right choice Isshin… Ichigo is strong he will get through this but he will need our help." Urahara reassured.

"One more thing Kisuke…" Isshin began as he reached into the pocket of his pants.

"Yes?" Urahara asked, confused as to why his friend was digging in his pocket.

Isshin pulled out a golden pocket watch, holding it in the palm of his hand and held it out in front of Urahara.

"I want you to give this to Ichigo." Isshin stated, causing Urahara to frown at the realization of what the pocket watch was.

"Isshin are you really su…" Urahara said before he was cut off.

"Yes, I'm entirely sure. I want Ichigo to have this Kisuke, and it's about time that he did." Isshin stated with conviction.

'_Is he serious about giving this up?' _Urahara wondered as Isshin held the watch out towards him.

"But Isshin… it's…" Urahara trailed off.

"I know very well what it is Kisuke… and I know very well you know what it is… that doesn't change the fact that I want Ichigo to have it." Isshin stated in a tone of finality.

"I understand. I'll give this to Ichigo as soon as I return to the shop." Urahara stated as he took the watch and made to leave the house.

"Oh before I forget. You are aware of the mod soul that your son uses correct?" Urahara questioned, recalling one last loose end that needed tying up.

"Yes indeed I am. In fact… all of the mod souls are aware that I am indeed a Soul Reaper." Isshin answered as he remembered killing Grand Fisher.

"Good than this should be easy. Ichigo will need someone to watch over his body, and Kon may very well be able to do so." Urahara began.

"The problem is he has a habit of being… rowdy. Something I'm sure that Ichigo won't really appreciate, if you know what I mean." Urahara finished, revealing a knowing grin.

"I understand. I'll have Kon stay in his body until school dismisses in a week for their vacation, after which point I will bring the body to the shop." Isshin responded.

'_I'm going to have to have a little chat with Kon about causing trouble while he is allowed to stay in Ichigo's body.'_ Isshin thought as he inwardly debated how to handle the situation.

"On my end I'll think of something to tell Ichigo so that he won't suspect this conversation went the way it did." Urahara said as he once again faced the door and made to leave.

"Oh and Kisuke…" Isshin began, causing Urahara to turn around to face him.

"If I find out that something bad happened to Ichigo on your watch I'll kick your ass into the next generation." Isshin threatened, causing Urahara to sweat drop.

"I-uh… sure Isshin, Ichigo will be fine." Urahara replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Good." Isshin said before Urahara left the home and headed towards his shop.

'_Phew, finally that's over with…' _Urahara thought as he let out a sigh of relief.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility **_

Dust raged around the training area as Renji and Chad continued to spar, Renji having entered Bankai after Chad so quickly got used to his Shikai.

"You're going to have to do better than that Chad." Renji said as he looked over at Chad, who was kneeling on the ground due to his tiredness.

"If you need a break we ca…" Renji said before being cut off.

"No… I can continue to spar…" Chad said as he got up from his knee and prepared for another round.

"Whatever you say Chad." Renji replied as he sent his snake like Bankai hurling towards Chad at ridiculous speeds.

"El Directo." Chad roared as he sent a massive ball of blue spirit energy hurling towards Renji's Bankai.

The attack collided with the sword, creating a large explosion and causing smoke to rage from the point of collision. However, moments later the sword tore through the field of smoke continued to charge Chad.

'_Not even a scratch.' _Chad thought in disappointment as he was barely able to dodge the attack in one piece.

"Come on Chad fight harder!" Renji commanded as he sent Zabimaru in for another attack.

'_I cannot fail… I will get stronger… I will not… cannot let Ichigo down.' _Chad thought angrily as he stared at the giant snake-like sword charge him.

Chad began to exude light blue spiritual energy as his right arm began to change. His forearm took on the appearance of a red and black shield, the rest of his arm remaining the same, with the exception of a few new markings that appeared on his upper arm.

He held up his shield like right hand and blocked the attack, sending Zabimaru reeling back towards Renji, who was shocked at Chad's apparent transformation.

'_What on earth is this? How can it block Zabimaru?' _Renji thought in disbelief as he felt his sword hit a dead end.

"You're gonna have to hit harder than that Renji." Chad taunted, still maintaining his emotionless expression and calm voice.

"Harder huh, I'll show you…" Renji stated as he brought Zabimaru back, preparing for his strongest attack. The sections of Hihio Zabimaru began to glow with red spirit energy, starting from the grip of the sword and extending within moments to the mouth of the snake-like sword.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji roared as he sent Zabimaru right at Chad, releasing a massive blast of red spiritual energy aimed right at Chad.

"Brazo Derecha del Gigante!" Chad roared as his shield like arm began to glow, seemingly increasing its powers.

The blast connected with Chad's arm, creating a massive explosion and sending dust, coupled with smoke, scattering everywhere around the point of impact.

'_Looks like I may have overdone it.' _Renji thought as he observed the destructiveness his attack.

"What?" Renji exclaimed with wide eyes, showing pure disbelief, as he saw the unharmed figure of Chad walk out of the cloud of smoke.

"Again… you're gonna have to hit harder than that Renji." Chad repeated, earning a glare from Renji.

"Not bad Chad… but you've still got a long way to go." Renji grunted as he once again sent his sword towards Chad.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

'_Oh there's no place like home.' _Urahara though happily as he entered his shop.

"Kisuke, we have to talk.' Yoruichi stated, having reverted to her cat from.

Upon hearing this Urahara let out a sigh of irritation.

'_Damn I just got back too.' _Urahara thought in disappointment.

"Alright Yoruichi what is it?" Urahara asked tiredly as he hung his head in annoyance.

"They have found out what Aizen was planning… Kisuke he means to make the Oken." Yoruichi replied, causing Urahara go wide eyed and give her his undivided attention.

"I don't think I need to tell you how the Oken is created, and I believe you are already aware of what the current enriched spirit zone is." Yoruichi stated, noticing Urahara's serious expression.

"I am fully aware Yoruichi…" Urahara replied in a tired tone.

"This can only mean that Aizen intends to wait until the Hogyoku is awakened before he attempts to create the Oken, otherwise he would be defeated by the royal guard." Urahara reasoned, sharing his thought process with Yoruichi.

"However… I know when the Hogyoku will awaken." Urahara added in a cheerful tone, believing that this worked to the advantage of the Soul Society.

"Then using that information can you tell when it is he would be able to attack?" Yoruichi asked, curious as to if his friend had the capability to calculate the earliest Aizen would be able to attack.

"Yes indeed I can… in fact I already have. Once I sealed the Hogyoku within Rukia's Gigai I had anticipated the possibility of the Hogyoku's seal being removed. By my calculations the Hogyoku should be awakened no later than December of this year." Urahara answered, causing Yoruichi to sigh in relief.

'_At least we have time.' _Yoruichi thought, just before Ichigo entered the room.

"Hey Urahara I've got a question for you… wait first does he know, Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked as he turned towards the black cat.

"Yes he does Ichigo, ask away." Yoruichi answered, causing Urahara to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Exactly who is the Spirit King?" Ichigo questioned, noticing Urahara develop a serious expression as he asked.

"That is a very complicated question Ichigo, and I'm not going to give you all the details but I can give you enough to explain who he is." Urahara replied, eliciting a nod from Ichigo in response, giving him the signal to continue.

"The Soul Society does indeed have a royal family complete with a king that has supreme authority over the entirety of the Seireitei." Urahara began as Ichigo paid close attention to what he was saying.

"The Spirit King gives the authority of governance by proxy to Central 46, which as you know is the governing body of the Soul Society, they make the laws and uphold the traditions that the Spirit King set into place." Urahara continued.

"Even though Central 46 has supreme authority on this side of things, should the Spirit King choose to override their decision he may do so without any resistance whatsoever." Urahara stated.

"If that's the case then why is Central 46 needed?" Ichigo asked, interrupting Urahara's explanation.

"The reason for Central 46 in the first place is that the Spirit King resides in another dimension, which can only be accessed by the Oken, the location of which is hidden and only known by the current Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads." Urahara explained.

"Hold on Urahara why is it that the Spirit King resides in another dimension in the first place?" Ichigo questioned, becoming confused as to the concept of a king not directly ruling his realm.

"Well the king is there for his protection, as you can imagine Aizen is most likely not the only person who wants the Spirit King dead, regardless of the reasons behind wanting him dead." Urahara answered, prompting Ichigo to nod his head in understanding.

"He is also guarded by those who are members of squad zero." Urahara answered, causing Ichigo to go wide eyed at what he said.

'_Did he just say squad zero?' _Ichigo wondered, thinking that there were only thirteen squads.

"What is squad zero Urahara, I thought there were only thirteen squads." Ichigo stated, voicing his curiosity.

"Why I'm glad you asked Ichigo…" Urahara began in his usual joking tone, earning a glare from Ichigo.

"They are known as the royal guard… for obvious reasons… and they are picked from the best of the best captains of the court guard squads. They live in this dimension and protect the king at all costs. Some even say their captain is stronger than Head Captain Yamamoto himself." Urahara explained, causing Ichigo to go wide eyed at the thought of someone being stronger than Yamamoto.

"So then why would Aizen want to kill the Spirit King?" Ichigo asked, still not understanding Aizen's angle.

"I have my suspicions, but to be honest I have no idea." Urahara stated honestly.

'_Great just another unanswered question.' _Ichigo thought in annoyance.

"Other than what I have already explained to you Ichigo… I cannot say." Urahara stated, prompting Ichigo to nod in understanding.

"Alright then… back to what you were out doing. What did my dad say when you told him I wouldn't be home for the next month?" Ichigo questioned, shifting the focus of the conversation.

'_Damn, he's gonna want to know what I told him.' _Urahara thought as he inwardly panicked before getting a devilish idea.

"Well… he was a little bit surprised and resisted at first… that is until I told him where you were going…" Urahara began with a grin, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow at the mischievous shopkeeper.

"What exactly did you tell him Urahara?" Ichigo asked in an annoyed tone, anticipating that he would not like the answer.

"Oh well… all I told him was that you and about thirty girls from your school were chosen to study abroad in America." Urahara said as he waved his fan over his face, his grin not fading.

'_I have a feeling this is going to get worse.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought.

"I told him that you and the girls were all going to be staying in the same hotel… in close proximity." Urahara said with a mischievous glint in his eyes, causing Ichigo to grow furious at what his father's reaction likely was.

"Why the hell would you tell him that Urahara?!" Ichigo yelled in mock anger as Yoruichi chuckled at what Urahara said.

"I just know what his reaction was… you do know I have to deal with that when I go home right?!" Ichigo roared, not happy with what was likely to happen on his return.

"Well… I needed to convince him and what better way than the prospect of grandchildren?" Urahara asked, his grin increasing in size.

"You told him what?!" Ichigo screamed in mock anger, causing Yoruichi to start rolling over in laughter.

"Great just great!" Ichigo yelled as he began pacing back and forth, contemplating how horrendous his welcome home would be.

"I just know how terrible it's going to be, I can practically hear it now… ugggg" Ichigo grunted in annoyance.

'_I can't believe I thought of that on the spot.' _Urahara thought, content that Ichigo clearly believed what he had said.

'_What did Kisuke really say to Isshin?' _Yoruichi wondered as she recovered from her fit of laughter.

"Oh lighten up Ichigo… oh and he did want me to give you something… something that I'm sure that you'll want." Urahara said in a serious tone, breaking Ichigo out of his rant.

"What is it Urahara?" Ichigo questioned, his tone returning to normal.

Urahara reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden pocket watch which Isshin had given him a short time ago. Ichigo looked at it with confusion as Yoruichi looked at it with wide eyes.

'_That can't be…" _Yoruichi trailed off in thought, not believing that Isshin would part with his most cherished possessions, outside of his children.

Urahara threw the pocket watch at Ichigo, who caught it in his right hand, still not having a clue as to what it was.

"Urahara what is thi…" Ichigo began before being cut off.

"Just open it Ichigo… you'll understand what it is." Urahara said in a deadly serious tone.

Ichigo opened the golden pocket watch only to have his eyes widen at what he saw. In the place of where the clock should be, there was a picture of his deceased mother.

'_I didn't even know my dad had something like this…' _Ichigo thought as he stared at the watch in disbelief.

"Urahara…" Ichigo began, having broken out of his momentary shock.

"Why did my dad give this to you? I wasn't even aware that he had this, so why would he give it to me now?" Ichigo questioned in a serious tone.

"All that your dad said when he gave this to me was that he believed you should have it… and that it's about time that he gave it to you." Urahara answered, noticing Ichigo's expression darken.

"But why… why would he give this to me now?" Ichigo asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"That… that is something I really couldn't tell you Ichigo. All I can really say is that he gave it to me to give to you." Urahara replied, honestly not knowing Isshin's intentions.

'_This must have been something really important to him…' _Ichigo thought as he stared at the picture within the watch for several moments.

"Ichigo… are you alright?" Yoruichi asked, her voice showing concern.

"Hm? Yeah I'm alright Yoruichi… just a little surprised is all." Ichigo answered as he closed the pocket watch and lowered his hand to his side, watch still in hand.

'_He seems out of it… maybe that picture affects him more than he lets on._ Yoruichi thought as she observed Ichigo's mood change.

"Anyway Ichigo… I think it's about time that we start your training. Clocks ticking you know." Urahara said, bringing the conversation to a lighter note.

"Alright, I'll just put this in my room and head down to the training grounds. See you two there I guess." Ichigo said as he left the room.

"So Kisuke…" Yoruichi began as Ichigo left the room.

"Yes Yoruichi?" Urahara questioned, half predicting what her question would be.

"Exactly what did you tell Isshin?" Yoruichi asked, knowing that Isshin knew about Ichigo's dilemma.

"I told him everything… he was more understanding than I had hoped, and her recognized that Ichigo needed to do this, even training with the vizards." Urahara began.

"As for the pocket watch… the only thing that I could possibly guess would be that he thinks Ichigo is going through a hard time and he may need it." Urahara reasoned.

"I do not know if that is the case but it's my only guess… Isshin always was hard to figure out." Urahara added as an afterthought.

"So what is going to happen with Ichigo's human body?" Yoruichi asked, curious as to how he planned to solve that dilemma.

"Why is that Yoruichi?" Urahara asked in a teasing tone, causing Yoruichi to glare at him.

"You wouldn't happen to want to do anything with his body would you?" Urahara asked, his tone and grin giving away his implications.

"Maybe I would but you wouldn't let me." Yoruichi replied with a smirk, causing Urahara to face fault.

'_Well I walked right into that one. Oh well one for two isn't that bad.' _Urahara thought as he got up off the ground.

"On that note…" Urahara began, not happy with how his teasing worked.

"Let's head down to the training grounds I'm sure Ichigo's already there." Urahara stated as he began to head down to the training grounds.

"Alright Kisuke." Yoruichi responded as she too walked towards the training facility.

_**Soul Society Squad 4 Barracks **_

Orihime began to tend to the wounded men in the squad four barracks in an attempt to speed up her capability to heal those who are wounded.

"You're doing great Orihime the Soul Society will benefit greatly if you continue to become more skilled with your healing powers." Rukia stated as she watched Orihime heal another wounded Soul Reaper.

As the wound healed completely the shield faded, causing the newly healed Soul Reaper to practically jump for joy at his wound being healed.

_**With Unohana and Isane**_

"Captain it appears that the girl does indeed have remarkable healing abilities." Isane stated as she watched yet another Soul Reaper become fully healed by Orihime.

"Indeed, her powers will provide us with a significant advantage in the upcoming war. If it turns out that she cannot fight the stronger arrancar, her ability to prevent casualties more than makes up for that." Unohana replied, prompting Isane to nod in agreement.

"I agree. In addition, we have the added bonus of allowing you and I to be able to heal in other areas of the battle field." Isane reasoned.

"Very observant Isane, but I still admit I was surprised by her request." Unohana stated.

_**Flashback**_

Orihime and Rukia arrived at the squad four barracks after they had finished training for the day at in the squad 13 training grounds.

"May I help you?" Isane questioned upon noticing that the two girls looked lost.

"Yes you may, we are looking for Captain Unohana. Can you please tell us where she might be right now?" Orihime asked, polite as ever.

"Of course, please follow me." Isane answered as she walked down the halls of the fourth division.

The three entered the captain's quarters to find Unohana sitting at her desk filling medical paperwork for all injured Soul Reapers that had arrived that day.

"Oh hello Orihime, Rukia. How are you?" Unohana greeted, bearing her ever present smile.

"We are fine mam but I do have a request to ask of you." Orihime replied, causing Unohana to raise an eyebrow.

'_What could they want from the medical division?' _Unohana wondered.

"Oh, and what exactly is this request of yours?" Unohana asked in a calm tone.

"W-well I-I wanted to know, if it's not a bother, if I… if I could possibly heal some of your patients in order to improve my healing skills." Orihime asked nervously as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Well I don't see why not… you have my permission to do so." Unohana replied, giving the two girls a genuine smile.

"Th-thank you Captain Unohana." Orihime said before she and Rukia headed over to the medical area.

_**With Unohana and Isane**_

"Yes it was a strange request…" Isane began.

"Not too many people would ask if they could heal people in the fourth division for practice but then again this is a rare circumstance." Isane stated, prompting Unohana to nod in agreement.

_**With Orihime and Rukia**_

"Thank you so much miss!" A happy female Soul Reaper chirped, ecstatic that she had just been healed so quickly.

"Not a problem at all." Orihime replied with a small blush on her face.

"You're getting faster and faster with healing these injuries Orihime." Rukia praised, happy to see her friends improving.

"Thank you Rukia." Orihime replied, her blush deepening.

"You just need a little confidence Orihime. You can easily be an asset in the coming war." Rukia stated, trying to encourage her friend.

"You really think so?" Orihime asked in a low voice, as if afraid of the answer.

"Of course I do Orihime, what kind of a silly question is that? Your healing powers are amazing to say the least." Rukia replied, causing Orihime's mood to brighten.

"Alright, I just have to continue healing these last few patients then we can be off, it's getting a bit late." Orihime stated as she looked out the window to see the sun begin to set.

"Okay Orihime, once you're done with these last few patients we can head back to the squad 13 barracks." Rukia replied.

"Alright." Orihime said before going back to healing the injured Soul Reapers.

'_If she keeps getting faster she will undoubtedly become an asset.' _Rukia thought as she observed Orihime healing the last few Soul Reapers.

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

Uryu Ishida wanders the streets near Karakura Town Park contemplating his usefulness since he has lost his powers.

'_Even without my powers I can make a difference… but those hollows I sensed earlier… there is no way I could have stood up to them without getting myself killed.' _Uryu thought as he continued to walk.

'_Something big is coming… I can sense that much…but will I be of any use once everything happens?' _Uryu wondered.

'_Even so, if it involves Soul Reapers I'm not even sure if I want to help… being honest if it doesn't involve Karakura Town then I really don't have a need to be a part of it.' _Uryu reasoned in thought.

"These walks do always help to clear me head." Uryu thought out loud, thankful that he was still able to think clearly.

As Uryu walks on a garganta opens in the middle of the park, several hollows exiting the gateway. The hollow shoots a raw of blue spirit energy directly at Uryu in the hopes of killing him.

'_What was that?' _Uryu wondered as he escaped the blast that was sent hurling towards him.

"A hollow." Uryu exclaimed as he turned to see the abomination he would have to face.

The hollow was colossal. It had a pin like head, purple skin, and a massive hollow hole in the center of its chest. Its fingers were long and thin, complete with long fingernails that gave the appearance of black claws. Its appearance was that of an adjucha, that much was obvious, though how strong it was only time could tell.

"It's enormous." Uryu observed, as he scanned the hollow looking for weaknesses.

'_I wonder if it could be some form of menos grande, it tore open the sky and came through. Its spiritual pressure is incredible.' _Uryu thought as he ran from the hollow, which was hot on his tail.

'_Whatever it is it doesn't matter. I can still fight even with my diminished spiritual energy.' _Uryu thought as he turned to face the hollow, revealing four capsules to be between his fingers.

"I am not helpless." Uryu stated as he threw the capsules at the large hollow.

"Take this." Uryu said as he activated the Ginta, bringing a block from the sky down on the arm of the hollow.

The hollow made no motion upon its arm being severed. After a few moments the wound began to bubble before a new arm emerged from the wound.

"Instant regeneration!" Uryu exclaimed upon seeing the hollow regenerate its arm so easily.

No sooner than Uryu said those words another hollow revealed itself, sending its toung spiraling towards Uryu in an attempt to catch him off guard.

'_There two of them?' _Uryu thought worriedly, knowing that killing one of them proved to be beyond his reach.

All of a sudden Uryu was hit by a dradle like hollow, which sent him flying into the nearby tees.

"So there isn't another hollow, they are just two that make one." Uryu observed as he saw the lower part of the hollow's body separated from its torso.

The dradle like hollow charged Uryu spinning violently. Uryu unable to move was forced to lie there, awaiting the attack to finish him off.

'_It can't end like this.' _Uryu thought in anger as he watched the approaching hollow. However, a blue spiritually charged arrow hit the hollow, making it lose balance, causing it to fall over, immobilized.

"Raaaaaaaaaa." The hollow roared as its lower half toppled to the ground.

'_Who could have done that?' _Uryu wondered as he looked towards the source of the arrow.

"Ryuken!" Uryu exclaimed as he saw who his savior was.

"Now is that anyway to address your father?" Ryuken questioned.

"My, my, how clumsy… Uryu." Ryuken scolded, as he approached the two hollows, bow in hand.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaa." The hollow roared as it charged Ryuken, only to receive an arrow to the face, decimating its head.

"Instant regeneration really isn't all that impressive." Ryuken stated impassively.

"It just means you have to put them away before they can do it." Ryuken finished as he brought his bow up, launching a flurry of arrows at the adjucha, causing it to fade into dust.

"How is it that you have powers? I thought you gave them up before, you said there was no profit in them." Uryu stated as he looked straight at his father.

"You're a fool son, I chose my words wisely." Ryuken replied, reminding Uryu of his choice of words.

"What I said was that I had no interest and that you had no talent for it." Ryuken stated impassively.

"If my powers were as disposable as yours I would have lost them long ago…you see…it was me he chose." Ryuken explained, causing Uryu's eyes to widen in shock.

"Whether they like it or not only one of us can carry on his legacy…only one may call themselves the last Quincy." Ryuken continued as he pulled out a Quincy cross.

"The Quincy cross!" Uryu exclaimed, having not seen one in a long time.

"How badly do you wish to regain your powers son?" Ryuken questioned, causing Uryu to go wide eyed at the implication that it was possible for him to regain them.

"What do you mean by that? My Quincy powers are gone. There is no possible way to…" Uryu began before he was cut off.

"Do you doubt my words?" Ryuken asked in a deadly serious tone.

"What would I have to do?" Uryu mumbled incoherently.

"You're going to have to speak up." Ryuken demanded.

"What would I have to do?" Uryu questioned.

"That is simple…" Ryuken began.

"All you must do in exchange for my training is not to affiliate yourself with Soul Reapers anymore." Ryuken explained, causing Uryu to nod his head in acceptance of the terms.

"I accept your terms." Uryu replied, hoping that his father was correct that he could regain his powers.

"Very well come with me the." Ryuken said as he made to leave.

'_Well this could be worse…' _Uryu thought as he followed his father.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Alright Ichigo are you ready to begin?" Urahara questioned in a serious tone as he entered the training grounds.

"More than ready Hat N' Clogs." Ichigo replied, determination present in his voice.

"Then let's get started…" Urahara said.

**A/N So here you go. Purpose of this chapter was the set things up for the future in more ways than one. I added a few things, and the purpose of Uryu and his dad meeting is just necessary if I want him to be in the story, which I do. **

**S.R.457**: Thanks!

**Arrankor**: I thought the Yoruichi thing was kinda funny as well, and hope you enjoy this chapter!

**VOGoshiniki**: Thanks for the compliment, and in terms of sequels, even if I don't decide to do one for this story, the next one I have planned will most likely, if not at this point defiantly, have the Vandereich in it.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: No it is not Nnoitora, and who it is will come up in a few chapters, but was a good guess. NO HINTS! :P

**bwineylion**: Thanks for your review and compliment, hope you like this chapter.

**hornet07**: As per your question, unfortunately I can't say if I will, or will not, be making that revelation, if it exists, come more quickly. Sorry for the absolutely vague answer, but I don't want to give away the plot xD

**TheEvilEye**: See answer to review above.

**Ryden Purrson**: Well after this chapter, things begin to pick up with Ichigo's training, among other events that I added. I will post the start of Ichigo's training on either Monday or Tuesday and if I'm motivated enough I will post a chapter each day, depending on how quickly I can get it done.

**BleachFan21**: Thanks, though sorry you have to wait until next chapter TT

**Mexican ninja1996**: You can count on it. I can't stress enough that I will not stop on this story until it is COMPLETE. I hate it when I see a story that has a lot of fav's but its incomplete, don't think it's fair to the readers, after all that is who the story is for in the first place. Though I do enjoy writing this story, I ultimately do it so that others can enjoy it.

**Reed**: Ummmm... I'm confused.


	6. Ichigo's Training

**A/N I lied when I said Monday or Tuesday… so sue me. (please don't). Also I added Karin meeting Hitsugaya as a combination of filler and because I wanted to have them meet, and maybe have a cute moment or two. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 6**

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Alright Ichigo are you ready to begin?" Urahara questioned in a serious tone as he entered the training grounds.

"More than ready Hat N' Clogs." Ichigo replied, determination present in his voice.

"Then let's get started…" Urahara said.

"So then what exactly are you going to make me do for training this time Urahara?" Ichigo questioned, curious as to what the shopkeeper had in mind.

'_I swear if it's something as stupid as getting his hat to fall off of his head…' _Ichigo thought, not wanting to play a child's games.

"Well since it is late I guess I'll just introduce the first step in your training…" Urahara began.

"You see the first part of your training is necessary in order for you to be successful in the following phases… don't worry what I just said will make sense later." Urahara reassured, noticing Ichigo's frustration at not knowing what he would be doing.

"Now firstly you need to be more precise in your strikes so this first phase has to do with your skills in zanjutsu." Urahara stated.

"Exactly what do you have in mind Urahara?" Ichigo questioned with a raised eyebrow, skeptical of what his method would be.

"Right to the point then… okay well you see Ichigo, to learn what it is that we will be doing for the first phase of your training all you need to do is come at me with your sword, once you do that the training starts." Urahara said in his joking tone, a telling grin etched on his face.

'_I have a bad feeling about this.' _Ichigo thought as he grabbed the hilt of his sword and charged Urahara.

"Not bad Ichigo… but not good enough." Urahara taunted as he dodged the blade and countered by hitting Ichigo with his cane, landing a blow on his face and causing Ichigo to fall over, rubbing the newly created red mark.

"What the hell Urahara?!" Ichigo yelled in mock anger, not at all happy with being hit in the face with a cane.

"Well Ichigo you see your sword is large but it's designed to be both destructive and precise, which is the nature of your Bankai. Your Shikai should be used to function in the same manner." Urahara began, causing Ichigo raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"The reason I hit you with my cane was because your attacks left you wide open… case in point I landed a hit on your face." Urahara chided, earning a glare from Ichigo.

"Either way you need to maneuver your sword in a way that allows your next strike to land before a counterattack can be made, or so you can block the counterattack, if you can block something as small and swift striking as a my cane then you should have no problem blocking the strike of a sword." Urahara explained.

'_How is it that something this unbelievably stupid actually makes sense to me?' _Ichigo wondered in frustration.

"Alright then so all you're going to be doing is making me charge you with the goal of blocking your counter?" Ichigo questioned.

"You bet!" Urahara answered as he waved his fan across his face.

"Then let's go!" Ichigo yelled as he once again charged Urahara.

_**Karakura Town Soccer Field**_

Karin stood with her friends watching a group of older kids hog the local soccer field. She had become exceedingly irritated with how the older boys believed they were entitled to use the field whenever they pleased.

"When are they gonna get off the field already." A kid with a brown afro said in a low voice, clearly upset that they were not getting their time on the field.

"Looks like their middle school students." Another kid piped in, equally upset.

"Excuse me it's our turn to use the field!" A blond kid shouted in an attempt to get the older boys' attention.

"Huh." The older boys said in unison, having not noticed the kids standing by the steps until now.

"Who are you?" One of the older boys asked, loud enough for them to hear his question.

"We're the ones who reserved the field at this time for practice." One of the kids replied, hoping that his answer would get the older boys off of the field.

"Yeah well you didn't reserve it with us. Now beat it we've got practice kid." The older boy stated arrogance prevalent in his voice, causing a tick mark to appear on Karin's forehead.

"Why don't you kids just go use the empty lot on the other side of the street?" The older boy asked in a taunting manner.

"Why don't you this is our turn to practice so beat it?!" Karin yelled no longer able to contain her irritation with the older boys.

"Your brats are always reserving the field, the only way we get it is by taking it." The older boy said as he let out a sigh.

"So? Our practice is just as important to us as it is to you!" Karin shouted, not mere feet away from the older boy, causing him to sweat drop.

"Go back to grade school kids." One of the other older boys taunted.

"So what if we are in grade school? Rules are rules!" Karin stated, growing more and more irate by the moment.

"That so?" One of the older boys asked as he butted heads with Karin.

"Yeah that right!" Karin snapped, causing her friends to sweat drop.

'_What is she doing?' _All of her friends thought similarly.

"You kids aren't even serious about practice." The older boy exclaimed.

"Yes we are! We're just as serious about it as you." Karin replied.

"Just forget about it… bad players shouldn't even bother practicing." The older boy taunted.

"You really think your better than we are?" Karin questioned, causing the older boy to grow further irritated.

"Of course we do you little brat!" The older boy shouted.

"Enough already." Their apparent leader stated, causing them to calm down.

"If you're really that confident then let's play a game." The older boy offered.

"A game?" One of the younger kids asked, nervousness present in his voice.

"Yeah us versus you and the winning team gets the field. Then the winner gets to practice whenever they want." The older boy said his tone exuding confidence.

"I don't know about this you guys, they…" One of the younger boys began before being cut off.

"You're on!" Karin said as she shook the boy's hand, causing her friends to face fault at her rash decision.

"What are you saying?" The four younger boys questioned simultaneously.

"Why not? What are ya so scared of?" Karin asked right back in an impassive tone.

"Alright then, next Saturday, winner gets the field." The older boy said, his tone revealing who he expected to win.

"And when you guys lose, we're gonna make you eat grass off the field." One of the other older boys declared, causing the four younger boys to sweat drop.

"I don't wanna eat dirt." The four boys grimaced at the same time.

"It's a deal. Just make sure that none of you back out." Karin stated as she glared at the older boys.

"See ya Saturday kiddies." The older boy taunted as they left the field.

"Karin what are we gonna do? You got us into a real mess." One of the younger boys stated as the group walked towards the streets of the city.

"What do ya mean, we're gonna win that what we're gonna do?" Karin replied, as if the answer was obvious.

"But if we lose we're gonna have to eat grass off the field." One of the other boys whined.

"Well then let's just make sure we win so we won't have to." Karin said in an annoyed tone.

"So how are we going to do that Karin? Wait I know, get your older brother to play with us." One of the younger boys shouted in joy, believing that they would win with Ichigo on their team.

"My brother is… not available at the moment, but don't worry I'll find someone else." Karin reassured as they continued to walk down the street.

Moments later Karin noticed someone that she had seen around before, a short boy with silver hair, standing over the railing to the street, as if looking for something. He had his cellphone in his hand and a distinguishable look of disinterest on his face.

'_Hey it's that kid from earlier.' _Karin thought as she began to run towards him.

"Hey Karin, where ya going?" One of the boys asked as Karin ran towards the kid leaning over the railing.

'_What's this?' _Hitsugaya wondered as the girl he saw earlier approached him with a group of her friends.

"Hi there, it's me again you picked up my ball remember." Karin said with a smile as she began to converse with the strange kid before her.

"Yeah." Hitsugaya replied in a nonchalant manner.

"Thank for that." Karin said, not wanting to appear rude.

"No big deal really." Hitsugaya stated in an uncaring tone as he began to press a series of buttons on his apparent cellphone.

"I was wondering, what school do you go to?" Karin asked, causing a tick mark to appear on Hitsugaya's head in irritation.

"Huh? What are you talking about I don't go to any school so just leave me alone. Can't you see that I'm busy?" Hitsugaya snapped as Karin's group of friends came up from behind her.

"Hey do you play soccer by any chance?" Karin questioned, hope present in her tone.

"I don't know." Hitsugaya responded dryly.

"We have a big game coming up, do you want to play with us?" Karin asked before being dragged away by her friends.

"What are you doing Karin… look at that guy he's strange… and he dies his hair…you want to put a kid like that on our team? Who knows what kind of trouble he's into." One of the younger boys stated.

"And besides he too little to play on our team." One of the other boys added, not aware that Hitsugaya could hear every word quite clearly.

"What did you say?" Hitsugaya questioned as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"Ahhh" The boy grimaced, afraid of the strange kid.

"And who you callin little? Hitsugaya taunted, still annoyed at the height comment.

"He didn't mean anything." Karin said as Hitsugaya shut his phone and made to leave.

"Hey wait up!" Karin said loud enough for Hitsugaya's retreating figure to hear her.

'_I know just what to do.' _Karin thought as a mischievous smirk formed on her face.

"Watch this." Karin said as she took the soccer ball out of the bag she had been carrying it in, threw it up in the air and sent a kick headed straight towards the silver haired boy.

Hitsugaya immediately noticed this and opted to scissor kick the ball sending it straight back to the group with incredible speed. The ball grazed pass Karin's face, only to connect with the face of one of the younger boys moments later.

'_Woa.' _The group of kids though simultaneously as they observed the ball digging into their friends face at an alarming rate.

"Alright!" Karin exclaimed as she and her friends made to surround the silver haired boy, who was dusting off his pant leg.

"Alright that was so cool!" The kids echoed, causing Hitsugaya to swat drop.

"What's your name?" One of the other boys asked.

"I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya." Hitsugaya replied.

"Listen I'm…" Hitsugaya began before he was interrupted by the beeping of his "phone".

'_There's a hollow nearby.' _Hitsugaya thought as he examined the screen.

"That same sensation." Karin blurted out absentmindedly as she stared off in the direction of the unseen hollow.

'_That girl… is it possible that she…' _Hitsugaya wondered before the phone beeped again, alerting him that he was the only one nearby that could deal with the threat.

"I have to go." Hitsugaya said as he began to run off to deal with the hollow.

"Hey wait we need you… we practice every day if you're interested." One of the kids yelled as they saw Hitsugaya's form fade off in the distance.

"He'll come around." Karin stated with confidence as the group continued to walk.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Well, well, Ichigo it appears that you're getting slightly better, I actually had to react quickly this time." Urahara complimented as Ichigo picked himself up from the ground, having just suffered a hit to the left side of his body.

"Anyway Ichigo it's getting late and you need to…" Urahara began before being cut off.

"I'm not done just yet Urahara!" Ichigo declared as he once again charged Urahara.

'_He's getting faster and more precise with his movements… with any luck he will be done this phase by tomorrow, unfortunately the next few phases will take significantly longer… I just hope that his knack for fast learning can finish up the lessons before my two weeks is up.' _Urahara thought as he parried Ichigo's repeated strikes.

"Good Ichigo, you're not giving me much room to counter." Urahara praised as he looked for openings to hit Ichigo.

"However you're not perfect yet…" Urahara stated as he brought his cane to hit the left side of Ichigo's body once more.

Urahara's eyes widened in shock at Ichigo's next action. Where Urahara had expected to land a hit, Ichigo had grabbed hold of his cane with his left hand while simultaneously holding the tip of Zangetsu at his throat.

"You were saying Urahara." Ichigo said with a smirk, happily disproving the humble shopkeeper after several hours of being hit with a cane.

"Well, well, it looks like your reaction time has improved quite a bit." Urahara observed, being proud that Ichigo was able to pick up this part of the training as quickly as he had hoped.

"It appears that we will be able to move onto the next phase of your training tomorrow morning." Urahara stated, happy to be ahead of schedule.

"I will warn you that the second phase won't go by as quickly as the first, but I'll explain that tomorrow, for now let's go eat… come on Ichigo, Yoruichi." Urahara said, as he made to leave the training grounds.

"As long as I don't get thrown into the bottom of a shaft and turned into a hollow I'll be alright." Ichigo joked, actually earning a laugh out of Urahara.

"Touché Ichigo, who knew you of all people could actually be clever." Urahara taunted.

"Shut up!" Ichigo said in mock anger as he glared at Urahara.

'_Ichigo is making good progress… but he needs to keep up the pace. The next two phases will likely be difficult given that he must master the two skills within a period of two weeks. Well I suppose if he can reach Bankai in two days this won't be such a stretch.' _Yoruichi thought, as the three exited the training grounds.

_**Urahara's Shop (The Next Morning)**_

All of the shop's residence were up and at 'em by nine in the morning, already in the kitchen eating breakfast, awaiting the day to begin, with the exception of Ichigo who had yet to wake up.

"Hey Yoruichi you mind going to wake Ichigo?" Urahara asked, turning to face the black cat, which had been drinking milk out of a bowl.

"Of course Kisuke." The cat replied, a grin forming on her face as she left the room.

"Oh and Yoruichi…" Urahara began, causing Yoruichi to turn her head back to face Urahara.

"Yes, what is it?" Yoruichi asked, only to become more confused as Urahara's face lit up with a grin from ear to ear.

"Remember you can't actually transform into your human form until your turn to train him is up." Urahara replied, bringing his fan out in front of his face.

"Not going to be a problem Kisuke." Yoruichi said as she gritted her fangs, annoyed that she would not get to have her fun… for the time being.

'_Two weeks two weeks two weeks two weeks.' _Yoruichi chanted in thought as she walked towards Ichigo's room.

"Ichigo it's time to wake up." Yoruichi said as she walked up to Ichigo's sleeping form.

"Ichigo." Yoruichi said a bit louder this time, still getting no response from the sleeping boy.

"Ichigo." Yoruichi repeated, even louder than before, again getting no reaction.

'_Well I guess if I have to…' _Yoruichi thought mischievously as a smirk appeared on her face.

"Remember you made me do this." Yoruichi stated, completely aware Ichigo could not hear her.

Yoruichi brought her paw up and extended her claws. She gave one swipe towards Ichigo's rear and he was up and out of bed within seconds.

"Gah!" Ichigo screamed as he jumped out of bed, holding his rear.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo questioned as he looked around to see who cut him.

'_When I find out who did this I'm gonna…' _Ichigo thought before a voice broke his mental tirade.

"Down here Ichigo." Yoruichi said, bringing Ichigo's attention to her.

"Yoruichi, what the hell was that for?!" Ichigo yelled in mock anger.

"You wouldn't wake up." Yoruichi replied, as if the answer was obvious.

"Whatever, is it time to train?" Ichigo grumbled, still not happy with the method she chose to wake him up.

"Go eat then go to the training facility as soon as you are done. Oh and one more thing…" Yoruichi began, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow at the now smirking black cat.

"That will teach you to wake up when I tell you to." Yoruichi said as she released a chuckle before exiting the room.

'_That cat is going to be the death of me.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as he watched Yoruichi leave the room.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Greetings Ichigo!" Urahara greeted in an upbeat tone, much to Ichigo's annoyance, as evident by the scowl that was currently marking his face.

"Can it Urahara I'm in no mood." Ichigo replied, only causing the shopkeeper's smirk to grow.

"Well now what kind of way is that to greet your mentor, especially with such a warm wakeup call." Urahara chirped, causing Ichigo to become even more annoyed.

"If that's your idea of a good wakeup call I may as well have stayed at home, at least there my dad screamed my name before he attacked me." Ichigo complained, causing Urahara's smile to fade.

"I try so hard to do my best Ichigo." Urahara whined, releasing overdramatic tears as he did so.

"Enough!" Ichigo yelled, causing Urahara to break out of his dramatic performance.

"I would like to know exactly what it is you will have me doing today." Ichigo stated, wanting to start the next phase of his training as soon as possible.

"Well…" Urahara began.

"You see the next part of your training has a lot to do with the first phase, which you will understand once I explain it to you." Urahara stated, testing Ichigo's patience.

"Now you see yesterday your training had to do with precision and dealing with counter attacks what you will do today is somewhat similar but it is the final step before you turn to the third phase of the training." Urahara rambled as Ichigo realized what he was doing.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Ichigo asked, his tone radiating annoyance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Ichigo, it's not like I'm purposefully rambling to annoy you or anything." Urahara replied innocently as a knowing grin became present on his features.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… so can you just explain the second phase to me already?" Ichigo questioned, agitated at the shopkeeper's antics.

"Why certainly my young protégé, I'd be happy to." Urahara replied in an upbeat tone.

"Well you see this next exercise will be a combination of precision and the use of spirit energy. Your Getsuga Tenshou is a very powerful attack, of that there is no doubt, but it is an attack that needs to be precise. If you are capable of controlling how much power goes into each attack and if you are able to control the area the attack is aimed at, you will increase the strength of the attack tenfold." Urahara explained.

"Now Ichigo in order to complete this phase of the training you will need to hit a target, demolishing it but leaving the area the attack impacts limited to an area I will designate using a Bakudo spell." Urahara stated as he motioned to the training dummies that were positioned on a nearby rock formation.

"Alright, so that's all I have to do?" Ichigo asked with a raised brow, believing it to be easy.

"My, my, so confident… very well let's get started." Urahara replied as he stepped forward to prepare the area markers.

"Bakudo Number 4, Hainawa!" Urahara yelled as he sent chains made of golden spirit energy wrapping around pieces of rock at the formation from two sides, effectively making a cone with the target at the end.

"Alright Ichigo give it your best shot." Urahara taunted as he moved out of the immediate area.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo roared as he sent a wave of concentrated blue spiritual energy spiraling towards the dummy.

The result was for the rock formation to be completely destroyed along with most of the surrounding area, the boundaries being broken about halfway down the cone.

"Now what was that about this being all you had to do?" Urahara joked as he observed the damage caused by the attack.

"Shut up Urahara!" Ichigo yelled in mock anger.

"Well Ichigo it appears that even though you didn't do great you exceeded my expectations…" Urahara began, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean Urahara? I failed miserably." Ichigo replied, becoming annoyed that he was unable to do something he believed to be so simple.

"Calm down Ichigo… see where the spell broke?" Urahara questioned as he motioned to the area where the Bakudo had been severed.

"Yeah… what about it?" Ichigo asked, still not getting what Urahara was getting at.

"Well where the rope severed is a good indication of how your progress is." Urahara began.

"The closer the severed point of the spell is to the training dummy the closer you are to mastering the skill. I would say that if you can do this eight or nine times in a row you'd be able to safely say you mastered the skill." Urahara explained.

"Now we must go again, follow me to the next area Ichigo." Urahara stated as he walked towards the next training setup.

'_This is going to be a long day.' _Ichigo thought as he walked towards the next station.

_**Karakura Town Park (Later that Day)**_

Karin and her group of friends practiced soccer in the park, unable to use the field. As they practice they wait and hope that Hitsugaya joins them so they have a chance in the game six days from now.

"There's too many people here, how are we supposed to practice?" One of the boys complained.

"Toshiro isn't showing up we may as well practice our dirt eating skills and forget about practicing soccer." One of the other boys grumbled.

'_What a bunch of whiners.' _Karin thought in annoyance as she kicked the soccer ball to one of her friends before running of.

"Hey Karin where are you goin?" One of the boys questioned, not understanding her leaving.

"I'm going to look for Toshiro, you guys keep practicing." Karin said as she left the park.

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

'_Where could he be?' _Karin wondered as she searched for Hitsugaya in all the places she had seen him.

'_Maybe he's watching the sunset at that ridge again.' _Karin thought as she zoomed towards the very last place she believed the silver haired boy would be.

As Karin came into view of the ridge she spotted Hitsugaya once more toying with his cellphone.

'_There he is.' _Karin thought in triumph, happy to have found who she had been searching for.

"Toshiro!" Karin yelled as she ran towards the boy, who made no attempt to acknowledge her presence.

"You again huh." Hitsugaya said in a nonchalant manner as Karin panted heavily, having just taken a break from all the running she had been doing.

"Yeah… hey why didn't you come to soccer practice?" Karin asked, still panting.

"Look I never said I was going to help you, besides I really don't have the time." Hitsugaya replied, still not taking his eyes off of his phone.

"Come on your in grade school. What are you so busy doing that you don't have the time?" Karin questioned.

"Just go away." Hitsugaya stated, becoming annoyed.

"Hey why do you keep coming to the same spot?" Karin questioned.

"I like to come here… because it's the best view of the sky." Hitsugaya replied as he thought of his time in the Soul Society with Momo.

"It brings back memories." Hitsugaya said with nostalgia.

"Memories? How old are you anyway?" Karin questioned, causing Hitsugaya to become annoyed.

"That doesn't concern you." Hitsugaya replied, before his phone rang alerting him to the presence of a hollow.

As Hitsugaya made to head towards the disturbance he found his hand being grabbed by none other than Karin.

'_What is she…' _Hitsugaya thought, being surprised by the girl's sudden action.

"No wait don't go over there." Karin said.

"Huh." Hitsugaya responded, confused as to what she was talking about.

"It's uh… how to explain this… I'm sensing something bad in that direction." Karin finished.

'_Can she sense the hollow?' _Hitsugaya wondered before the phone ceased beeping indicating the hollow was defeated.

'_Someone else defeated the hollow.' _Hitsugaya thought as he shut his phone.

"Something wrong Toshiro?" Karin asked, curious as to why the phone was beeping.

"Nothing at all." Hitsugaya replied

"You are going to be there next Saturday right?" Karin questioned, as if pleading with the silver haired boy.

"Who knows… I might." Hitsugaya replied, putting extra emphasis on the word 'might', as he walked away.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility **_

"Let's see out of around… one hundred and twenty or so tries, you've managed to complete the task… an astounding zero ladies and gentlemen." Urahara joked in an overdramatic fashion.

"One more Urahara." Ichigo stated, not willing to give up yet.

"Ichigo it's getting late, plus you've been at this all day can't y…" Urahara said before being cut off.

"One more." Ichigo said in a commanding tone.

"Suit yourself." Urahara replied as he cast another series of Hainawa, marking the boundaries.

'_Alright I've tried this over a hundred times today… I've improved dramatically making it about ninety percent of the way their before everything get demolished… but if I strike vertically it creates too much destruction at the end of the cone, either way it's not going to be easy.' _Ichigo thought as he pondered the method he would use to hit the target.

'_Maybe if I concentrate my spiritual energy into a condensed from and hold it in my blade long enough…' _Ichigo thought before he was distracted by Urahara.

"Any day now Ichigo, any day!" Urahara yelled from his perch on a nearby boulder, aware that Ichigo could not hear him speak if he did not yell.

"Hey Yoruichi, I'd bet anything that he whiffs it." Urahara joked, causing Yoruichi to get a mischievous idea.

"Well I don't know about that Kisuke…" Yoruichi trailed off, causing Urahara to raise an eyebrow.

"Well now… care to make it a real bet?" Urahara asked, a grin forming on his face.

"Do you even have to ask?" Yoruichi responded, a grin of her own etched on her cat face.

'_Oh this is going to kill her…' _Urahara thought mischievously.

"Well how about this if I win…" Urahara began, his grin increasing in size, prompting Yoruichi to raise a brow at her friend.

"If I win… you can't be in human form around Ichigo while I'm gone, unless it's in training." Urahara finished, expecting a different reaction from his longtime friend.

"Deal… but if I win…" Yoruichi began.

'_Alright if I can pull this off… it should work.' _Ichigo reasoned in thought as he brought Zangetsu over his head and charged a Getsuga Tenshou.

"The attack should have come by now… unless he's… no." Urahara said in disbelief, aware of what Ichigo was planning.

"This doesn't look good for you Kisuke." Yoruichi stated, knowing full well what Ichigo had the right technique for completing this phase of the training.

'_Me and my big mouth…' _Urahara thought as he let out a sigh of defeat.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo yelled bringing his blade down.

His plan had worked, holding back the charge of his Getsuga Tenshou in his blade had increased its precision dramatically. The blast headed straight down the middle connecting head on with the dummy, shattering the rock formation without severing the spell Urahara had cast.

"Yes!" Ichigo roared in triumph, happy that he at least was able to get one for the day.

"It appears you lost Kisuke." Yoruichi stated, a smile of victory etched on her face.

"Indeed it did, and I will hold up to my side of our little bet." Urahara replied before using flash step to appear next to Ichigo.

"You'd better Kisuke." Yoruichi said aloud before she too used flash step to appear next to Ichigo.

"Well, well Ichigo… it appears that you figured it out." Urahara praised, impressed that he didn't have to give Ichigo any tips on how to actually achieve the accuracy he needed.

"Thanks Urahara." Ichigo replied.

"What took you so long Yoruichi?" Urahara taunted as the cat appeared next to them.

"You know very well that I'm limited in this form Kisuke." Yoruichi replied.

"So Ichigo, how exactly did you figure it out?" Urahara questioned, becoming serious once more.

"Well… I thought that if I held the power of my attack in the blade it would concentrate the spiritual energy that I use for the attack. So I figured that if the spirit energy was condensed all I'd have to do is fire it and it would be more accurate." Ichigo explained, prompting Urahara to nod in understanding.

"One more question though. Weren't you at all worried that if you held the attack in your blade to long it would blow up on you?" Urahara asked.

"No not really." Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone, causing Urahara to face fault.

"Are you kidding me, so you're saying that you just got lucky?" Urahara said in disbelief.

"Well I wouldn't call it luck…" Ichigo trailed off as he rubbed the back of his head with one of his hands.

"I'd say it was lucky for me." Yoruichi commented as she looked at Urahara, a smirk present on her features.

'_I don't believe it… I don't believe it.' _Urahara thought as he remembered the bet he made with Yoruichi.

"What are you talking about Yoruichi?" Ichigo questioned, confused as to what she was talking about.

"Oh nothing Ichigo, nothing at all." Yoruichi replied, the smirk still present on her face.

"Anyway…" Urahara began, having recovered from his daze of disbelief.

"It's one thing to do that once, but in case you didn't notice the ability to hold the spiritual pressure in your blade is a timing that is difficult to learn, and taxing on your strength, so don't think that you'll be able to do it repeatedly and move on to the next phase so soon." Urahara stated, prompting Ichigo to nod in understanding.

"That's all well and good but training is done for today. It's about time we eat and rest, don't you agree?" Yoruichi asked, getting nods of agreement from Ichigo and Urahara respectively. The three then made to leave the training grounds and head back up into the shop.

'_Man what a long day.' _Ichigo thought as they entered the shop once more.

"Hey Chad, Renji." Ichigo greeted upon seeing his friends eating in the kitchen, both having finished their training about an hour before he had.

"How'd your training go?" Ichigo questioned.

"Good." Chad replied in his usual stoic tone.

"He's improving quite a bit, even though he still has issues dealing with my Bankai's speed, his defensive capabilities make it difficult to land any good hits on him." Renji stated.

"Glad to hear it." Ichigo said as he sat down to eat.

"I need to get going, thank you once again for letting me train here Urahara." Chad said as he made to leave.

"Don't mention it Chad." Urahara chirped as Chad left.

"Just to give you a fair warning Ichigo…" Urahara began as Chad left, gaining Ichigo's attention.

"You will be practicing the same thing you were doing all day today until you've mastered it… this will take time… I'm telling you this now because you'll be lucky if you can do that within the next week." Urahara stated.

"I won't fail Urahara." Ichigo replied with determination in his voice.

_**Karakura Town Soccer Field (Saturday, 6 Days Later)**_

Karin and her friends were getting demolished by the older boys. They had started off strong but they never really stood a chance after one of the older boys played a dirty trick and partially injured Karin, who was the only really good player they had on their team.

"We should just give up you guys there's no shot." One of the boys said, earning a glare from Karin.

"Hey look everybody." One of the other boys said as he pointed towards the approaching form of Hitsugaya.

'_I had a feeling he'd show up… eventually.' _Karin thought as Hitsugaya continued to walk towards the field.

"You're late." Karin chided as Hitsugaya arrived on the field.

"How can I be late if I never said I was coming?" Hitsugaya retorted.

"Who's the new kid?" One of the older boys questioned as he and his team walked towards the group of younger kids.

"He's with us, we're making a substitution!" Karin declared.

"Ready guys, let's win this!" Karin shouted to her teams.

"Alright!" The boys simultaneously replied.

"Hey wait a minute I never said I was here to play soccer." Hitsugaya stated before noticing the injury of Karin's right knee.

"Your knee, are you hurt?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"It's just a little scratch I'm fine." Karin replied, with a smile marking her features.

"Hmmm… Alright I guess I'll play, I suppose you guys wanna win right?" Hitsugaya questioned, reluctantly volunteering to join the game.

"Yeah of course we do!" Karin answered.

The rest of the game could only be described as pure embarrassment to the older boys. Hitsugaya's speed on the field couldn't be matched by any of the kids on the other team. On numerous occasions he sent them crashing to the ground simply by juking them out. As the score was tied with barely any time left to play Hitsugaya and Karin charge the opposing team's goal, completely undefended except for the goalie who currently stood in a defensive position, staring down the soccer ball as it came closer and closer.

'_This is her game she deserves to win it.' _Hitsugaya thought as he passed the ball to Karin.

"What are you doing?" Karin asked, confused as to why he would give her the ball.

"This is your team not mine." Hitsugaya stated as he peeled off allowing Karin a clear shot at the goal.

Karin kicked the ball with as much force as she could, sending it flying into the net, much to the happiness of her teammates and the dismay of the older boys.

"We won!" All of the younger boys cheered as they watched the ball fly into the net.

"We won… and it's all thanks to you Toshiro." Karin stated as she turned to face Hitsugaya.

"I wasn't the one who scored the winning goal…anyway there's something I need to ask you." Hitsugaya said, confusing Karin slightly.

"W-what is it?" Karin asked.

"The other day you seemed to…" Hitsugaya stated before being cut off.

A garganta began to open in the middle of the park, revealing a hollow to be within.

"Oh no it's back again." Karin grimaced as she saw the whole tear open in the sky.

'_This is a massive hollow.' _Hitsugaya thought as he glanced at his phone to observe the spiritual pressure of the hollow.

A massive beat like hollow fell from the sky, nearly crushing Karin and Hitsugaya, who jumped out of the way just in time to evade being crushed.

"Run guys!" Karin commanded as she gazed upon the monstrosity before her.

"You too." Hitsugaya stated as he got up to challenge the hollow.

"What are you doing Toshio? You can see that thing?" Karin questioned, surprised that Hitsugaya was able to see the beast that had landed in the field.

"I'll explain it too you later, just run away now." Hitsugaya replied

"No way, I can't just leave my friends hanging like that." Karin declared as she charged the hollow.

"No wait!" Hitsugaya shouted in an attempt to stop her. Unfortunately Karin charged the hollow and kicked her soccer ball directly at the massive creature, only for it to turn to dust on contact.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaa." The hollow roared as it made to smash Karin with a single punch.

As the first connected a crater formed around Karin and dust outpoured as a result of the force the hollow used. As Karin opened her eyes she saw her savior to be non-other than Hitsugaya, only he was wearing a robe similar to her brothers, only white. He had caught the first of the hollow with his bare hand, not even breaking a sweat.

'_He must be a Soul Reaper.' _Karin thought as she saw the uniform Hitsugaya was wearing.

"Rain over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya yelled as he released his Shikai, freezing the hollow and destroying it instantaneously.

"Amazing." Karin exclaimed as she witnessed Hitsugaya easily best the massive creature.

"Are you alright?" Hitsugaya questioned, slightly concerned.

"I'm fine, how is everyone else?" Karin asked, worry evident in her voice.

"They're alright." Hitsugaya replied.

"Toshiro, that kimono you're wearing…" Karin trailed off.

"I sensed that you had strong spiritual energy but I never expected you could see me in this form." Hitsugaya stated before Karin grabbed his shoulders and became slightly frantic.

"Please tell me you know where my brother is. Please tell me he's alright." Karin pleaded, confusing Hitsugaya thoroughly.

"I know you're a Soul Reaper." Karin stated much to the surprise of Hitsugaya.

"How do you know about Soul Reapers?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"Because my brother's a Soul Reaper… his name is Ichigo Kurosaki." Karin replied, causing Hitsugaya's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Kurosaki? So than that must mean your Ichigo's younger sister, that makes sense." Hitsugaya exclaimed, shocked at the information he had just received.

"I know what that man told my father was a lie, where is Ichigo?" Karin questioned.

'_Could she be talking about Urahara?' _Hitsugaya wondered as he thought of what to say to the girl.

"I am sorry I can't tell you that, but I can tell you that he is in good hands." Hitsugaya replied.

"I see, well as long as he is safe then I'm fine." Karin stated as she frowned slightly.

"Believe me when I say he…" Hitsugaya began before being interrupted by the source of much stress in his life.

"Captain, over here!" Rangiku chirped as she entered the field in her Soul Reaper clothes.

"Little late Rangiku, I've already taken care of it." Hitsugaya stated as Rangiku walked up to him.

"Wait is she a Soul Reaper too?" Karin questioned, causing Rangiku to grow confused.

"She's my subordinate." Hitsugaya replied.

"Oh so you have subordinates do ya?" Karin joked, causing Hitsugaya to become annoyed.

"Sort of." Hitsugaya replied.

"Captain can this girl see us?" Rangiku asked, motioning to Karin.

"Yes, she is Ichigo Kurosaki's younger sister." Hitsugaya replied.

"So why were so close to the hollow in the first place?" Rangiku questioned.

"He was helping me out… you see we needed him to play on our team for a soccer game and with his help we won." Karin answered in an upbeat tone, still ecstatic that they were able to win.

"Awwwwww, isn't that cute, my captain has a girlfriend!" Rangiku chirped, causing a tick mark to appear on the Hitsugaya's forehead, and a thorough blush to appear on Karin's face.

"She is not my girlfriend Rangiku." Hitsugaya stated in an annoyed tone.

"So you saying you don't like me?" Karin joked, causing Hitsugaya to blush and become flustered.

"I never said tha… wait a minute, don't you start." Hitsugaya said, becoming more and more annoyed with each passing moment.

"Oh that's so cute captain, your blushing." Rangiku observed, causing Hitsugaya's blush to deepen.

"Enough of this, Rangiku we're leaving now." Hitsugaya commanded, though the fact that he was still blushing made him seem far less authoritative.

"Hey Karin, if you can convince your brother maybe we could go on a double date." Rangiku suggested as she gave a wink to Karin, causing her to blush.

'_When did Ichigo meet her?' _Karin wondered flabbergasted at the implication of his brother going out with someone as gorgeous as the Soul Reaper in front of her.

"Leave Ichigo out of this Rangiku, let's go!" Hitsugaya said in a loud voice, revealing his frustration.

"Awww you always ruin my fun." Rangiku whined as she began to follow her captain back to Orihime's house.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Alright Ichigo you have my congratulations you've mastered the ability to strike with precision faster than I had hoped." Urahara praised upon seeing Ichigo complete the task of hitting the dummies without severing the spell ten times in a row.

"And on top of that you only blew up three times!" Urahara joked much to Ichigo's annoyance.

"Twice Urahara, one of those was you hitting me with your cane." Ichigo corrected, his tone radiating annoyance.

"Either way you're ready to move onto the final lesson." Urahara chirped.

"What exactly is my next lesson?" Ichigo asked, curious as to what the culmination of the other two lessons was.

"Well that's simple, and to explain it better I'll use your previous training phases as examples of what you will need to do in order to master this third skill." Urahara began, prompting Ichigo to nod, giving him the sign to continue.

"You see the first phase, had to do with precision with your sword, allowing yourself to leave no openings and to be able to read your opponent better, this allows you to have better sword maneuverability. The second phase of your training had to do with your Getsuga Tenshou with respect to how much energy you released, and the accuracy of the attack." Urahara explained.

"Now the third and final phase is quite complicated and will be very difficult for you to master, even with the extra time you've accumulated." Urahara stated

"Just tell me what it is already Urahara." Ichigo snapped, not wanting to go through another long and boring explanation.

"Your next task will be to harness the power of Getsuga Tenshou within your sword and hold it during combat. To do this you will need the swordsman skills you worked on in phase one, and the control of the attack you needed for the second phase. That way each lesson improves an individual skill, and helps for you to master a new skill. The ability to harness your attack within your blade will increase the strength of your strikes to the strength of the attack, for instance if you pour a lot of power into the Getsuga, your strike will be incredibly powerful but it will be harder to control." Urahara explained.

'_That was actually very clever… even if he was annoying as all hell.' _Ichigo thought as Urahara finished his explanation.

"How exactly do you intend to train me for that?" Ichigo questioned.

"Well essentially all you have to do is practice, practice, practice. There really isn't a concrete training method. I would however recommend that you practice on rocks to see how far you've come in terms of controlling the power you put into your sword." Urahara replied.

"But if you can't harness the attack in your blade for prolonged periods of time… it doesn't really matter… so I'm going to have to work on that until you are capable of sustaining it for large amounts of time." Urahara continued.

'_This is going to be a long week.' _Ichigo grimaced in though.

**A/N Hope you liked this Chapter, this is the only chapter with Ichigo's training, next time will be more of the plot, fights, and stuff like that. Okay important to note that this wont effect the Tuesday thing, no matter how many chapter I post before then there will be a chapter on Tuesday. **

**S.R.457**: Thanks!

**Mexican ninja1996**: Now you don't have to!

**VOGoshiniki**: Thanks, and I suppose I update fast, but once again I don't think of that as a flaw considering I am not giving away the plot, so I suppose that the faster I update the more the plot goes along, then the more I can update the summary/ what I say at the start of the story.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: The watch has no current significance other than the father son moment-ish thing, but I will say it has significance in the future, and I suppose around chapter 16 you might be able to guess it.


	7. Traitors Revealed

**A/N Okay, so for this chapter, it's mostly leading up to fights, and some of the actual fights themselves. This chapter will be based off of a non-canon confrontation between a group of arrancar that stole the Hogyoku, or what they thought was the Hogyoku, and Ichigo, Chand, and Renji. Essentially if you want a visual just Google (Or whatever you have) the names of the arrancar in the chapter. Also it is important to note that in my story, I use the numbers of the arrancar differently. The number signifies power among the arrancar, so the numbers of the three arrancar will be different. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 7**

_**Six Days Later, Las Noches: Chambers of the Hogyoku **_

The halls of Las Noches are silent. It appears that not a soul is around, hollow or Soul Reaper. A lone arrancar walks towards the holding chamber of the Hogyoku. As the doors open he walks towards the pedestal in the middle of the room.

The arrancar takes one last glance behind him before walking towards the center of the room, anticipating the triumph to be had in his treachery.

The room is silent as a blue haired arrancar in standard arrancar clothing stands looking at the pedestal that holds the Hogyoku. A mask fragment covers the upper left side of his face, which is otherwise indistinguishable with the exception of the thin moustache just above his lips.

'_The time has come for you to be used by someone worthy.' _The arrancar thought as he grabbed the Hogyoku.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" A voice from behind him asked in an emotionless tone.

"Ulquiorra… I don't recall seeing you roaming the halls." The arrancar replied, curious as to how he was discovered.

"This is not a place you should be entering without Lord Aizen's permission Patros." Ulquiorra stated.

"I'll tell you something… I've grown tired of your suck up attitude." Patros exclaimed.

"Regarding?" Ulquiorra questioned his voice as emotionless as ever.

"Lord Aizen, always with Aizen, and the Espada are all following suit as well… I don't get it, it makes no sense." Patros replied, practically spitting venom at the mention of Aizen.

"He is nothing but a Soul Reaper. Why should powerful hollows have to take orders from a Soul Reaper? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." Patros continued.

"So tell me why… why was our freedom taken away by someone like him?!" Patros yelled in anger, eliciting no response from the stoic Espada whatsoever.

"You know Aizen used hollows in his experiments?" Patros asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course I do, so what's your point?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Ever since he's been here things have changed…" Patros began.

"I have no intention of following a Soul Reaper, why don't we use the Hogyoku ourselves and use its power to control the world. Doesn't that make more sense?" Patros questioned, hoping to gain Ulquiorra's support.

"Don't be a fool Patros. How can you control the world if you can't even become and Espada?" Ulquiorra asked knowingly.

"So I don't have your support then… pity." Patros said. No sooner than he uttered these words two arrancar appeared from behind Ulquiorra and stabbed him straight through his chest.

"Fortunately I already have two supporters." Patros stated as Ulquiorra struggled to maintain his balance.

"Patros… you'll never get away with this." Ulquiorra whispered as the buzz of sonido filled the air, revealing that Patros had charged him with his blade pulled back ready to strike a killing blow.

"It's really too bad…" Patros said as he slashed Ulquiorra, cutting him straight down the left side of his body.

"I never really hated you." Patros finished as Ulquiorra fell to the ground, dead.

"Too easy." One of the arrancar commented, arrogance exuding from his voice.

"Pretty pathetic for an Espada." The other stated, contempt marking his voice.

"Enough Menis, Aldegor, we have business to attend to… now we must go to the world of the living and find the one who created the Hogyoku, once we have found him he will tell us its secrets." Patros stated as he opened up a garganta to the world of the living.

"Come we have work to do." Patros ordered to the two arrancar.

"Yes sir!" The two responded in unison.

_**Undisclosed Location: Uryu's training**_

A large room similar to a maze, blue in color, sets the scene as Uryu dodges arrow after arrow casted by his father.

'_We've been at this for over a week, all he's been doing is making me dodge arrows day after day. Perhaps this is a test to see if I'm worthy.' _Uryu contemplated as he continued to dodge arrows.

"You're going to have to do better than that son." Ryuken stated as he continued his onslaught of attacks at Uryu's retreating form.

'_Today is different than the others, it's as if he is actually shooting to kill with his arrows, if I slip up he very well may end up killing me.' _Uryu thought as he sidestepped several arrows.

"Is there no end to your cowardice son?" Ryuken taunted, expecting a reaction from Uryu.

'_He's goading me… that is quite unlike him perhaps he wants me to attack… then that's just what I'll do.' _Uryu thought as he turned to face his father.

"I'm through running away!" Uryu stated as he ran toward his father while simultaneously dodging several arrows.

'_Finally.' _Ryuken thought in irritation, not wanting to delay the inevitable any more than he already had.

'_My last Ginto…' _Uryu thought as he threw the capsule at his father.

"Now the silver whip strikes the five fingered stone bed, Gritz!" Uryu shouted, causing the Ginto to transform into box like structure, trapping his father.

'_All right.' _Uryu thought in triumph. This was short-lived however as a moment later an arrow pierced the Ginto revealing his father to be completely unharmed.

"What?" Uryu exclaimed upon seeing his father with an arrow aimed directly at him.

"What a shame for you that it's now… over." Ryuken stated as he sent an arrow straight through Uryu's chest.

'_He got me… damn.' _Uryu thought in anger and frustration as he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Push the spirit to its limits and while in that exhausted state attack from a shot with a spiritual bow exactly nineteen millimeters to the right of your heart. That is the only way to reclaim the spiritual power lost to the Quincy's final form." Ryuken said aloud as he walked towards his son's unconscious body.

"Ugg… why didn't you use your Haizen… if you had only used that back there instead of Gritz I would at least have been injured if not defeated." Ryuken stated as he knelt down besides Uryu's unconscious body.

"You made a stupid choice you're so frustrating. You make me sick." Ryuken said in irritation.

"However I'll let you live this time." Ryuken continued as he got up from his crouched position, still staring down at his son.

_**Las Noches: Chambers of the Hogyoku**_

All that can be heard are the footsteps of Sosuke Aizen as he enters the chambers of the Hogyoku. Aizen approached the pedestal with a smile gracing his features, content that his plan had worked so perfectly.

'_Too predictable.' _Aizen thought as he walked towards Ulquiorra's bleeding corpse, situated in the center of the room.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." Aizen said, causing the illusion of Ulquiorra's bleeding body to vanish. Once that was done Aizen sheathed his zanpakuto, and took a seat in the chair at the center of the room, contemplating a future plan or two before being greeted by a frequent guest.

"What an elaborate scheme you cooked up Lord Aizen." Gin complimented from the doorway.

"Gin, what a pleasant surprise." Aizen greeted a smile gracing his features as always.

"Even if they did collaborate and were obviously up to no good… making them believe that they had killed Ulquiorra and letting them take the Hogyoku. There was no need to do this in such a roundabout way. You could have had Ulquiorra simply kill them." Gin stated, causing Aizen's smirk to grow.

"All you need do is wait Gin, Ulquiorra will indeed be receiving orders from me in the near future… but as for what those orders are… you'll simply have to wait in anticipation." Aizen replied, causing Gin's smirk to fade.

"Exactly what master plan have you been concocting these past few weeks?" Gin questioned, curiosity getting the better of him.

'_Gin Ichimaru without that grin… today is a momentous day indeed.' _Aizen thought, being amused at how Gin's lack of knowledge affected him.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough Gin." Aizen replied, causing Gin to become even more annoyed.

"I'll take my leave now Lord Aizen." Gin said as he exited the chamber, closing the door behind him.

"Has Lord Aizen told you any details of the plan you so desperately wish to know about?" Tosen questioned as Gin walked out of the room.

"No, and it's killing me!" Gin whined not at all happy that he was not in the loop.

"If it makes you feel any better I doubt anyone knows exactly what it is Lord Aizen is planning at the moment." Tosen stated, making Gin feel slightly better about not knowing.

"Oh… I did forget to mention that he will be giving instructions to Ulquiorra in the near future, about what I have absolutely no idea but it's something to think about." Gin replied.

"Cheer up Gin depression doesn't become you." Tosen chided, causing Gin's characteristic grin to return to his features.

"On a different subject I may as well ask…" Gin began, earning Tosen's attention.

"Exactly what do you think Lord Aizen's intentions are by allowing those three arrancar to escape to the world of the living, sure they believe they have the Hogyoku but even so I can't quite understand the angle." Gin finished, causing Tosen to rub his chin in thought.

'_What is his angle? Indeed a good question.' _Tosen thought as he continued to think on Gin's question.

"I don't quite know Gin." Tosen replied honestly.

"However… if I had to guess… it most likely has something to do with that Kurosaki boy." Tosen guessed, not seeing any other angle on Aizen's part.

"That was my first guess too, but perhaps we're thinking about this too hard, perhaps it was just an intricate way of sending traitors off to their deaths." Gin reasoned upon hearing Tosen's opinion.

"The end result will always be the same, the traitors will die, but have you even known Lord Aizen to go to so much trouble without a purpose behind his actions?" Tosen questioned, posing a good point.

"Good point, either way it will be interesting to see how this all pans out." Gin replied.

"Indeed." Tosen commented before they both went their separate ways.

_**Soul Society: Squad One Meeting Room**_

All captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads stood in a room as they awaited the word of the Head Captain to begin the meeting.

"This captain's meeting is hereby called to order!" The voice of the Head Captain boomed as he struck the ground with his cane, causing absolute silence to induce.

"Firstly, Captain Hitsugaya if you would be so kind as to give us your report on the status of Karakura Town." Yamamoto ordered, putting the meeting on track.

"Yes sir." Hitsugaya replied before he began to give his status report.

"Since the arrival of the dispatch team there have been an increasingly amount of adjuchas level hollows arriving in Karakura Town. Why this is I have no idea but nevertheless these hollows have all been dealt with easily and with no casualties on the human side of things." Hitsugaya stated.

"What of the status of Ichigo Kurosaki?" The Head Captain questioned.

"To my knowledge he is still undergoing training at the hands of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin. There has not been an… incident… since the arrival of the arrancar nearly two weeks ago." Hitsugaya replied.

"Excellent, now that that is out of the way I have some unfortunate news regarding the fighting capabilities of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads in relation to the upcoming war." Yamamoto stated, his expression becoming more grim that before.

"As you are all aware the Hogyoku is expected to awaken as early as December…" Yamamoto began, eliciting nods of confirmation from all captain's present.

"In addition to this we are short three captain class Soul Reapers, with a shortage of individuals to fill these empty spaces. Due to our decreased battle capabilities and the factor that our enemy's strength is currently unknown, we are now under wartime protocol." Yamamoto declared, getting wide eyes from all captains present.

'_If we are in wartime protocol then this must be deadly serious.' _All the captains present thought similarly.

"As a result of wartime protocol all Captains and Lieutenants are allowed access to the world of the living without any restraints on their powers. In addition, all duties of Soul Reapers who were chosen to take part in the upcoming war have been suspended. As a result of this all of their time shall be spent training in preparation for the great conflict that is to come." Yamamoto explained.

"Sir if I may, what is my status regarding wartime protocol, shall I return to the world of the living as I was initially supposed to?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"Yes Captain Hitsugaya, you are indeed to return to the world of the living where you will remain there to safeguard Karakura Town. Although, due to the removal of the Gentei Reiin I would advise that you use caution when exercising your power." The Head Captain replied.

"This meeting is adjourned. All of you go and prepare for the upcoming war!" Yamamoto bellowed as he dismissed the captain's.

_**Skies above Karakura Town**_

A garganta ripped open in the sky before three arrancar began to walk out of it, scanning the area they had entered.

"This air is awful… it's so thin with spiritual pressure it's making my head spin." Menis gripped, not satisfied with the air quality of the world of the living.

"Quit complaining you little whiner." Aldegor chided, not wanting to hear his comrades whining.

"What'd you say?!" Menis yelled in irritation.

"Stop it the both of you, we are here for a reason." Patros stated, breaking the two up from their bickering.

"So Patros who exactly is this guy we are looking for while we're here?" Aldegor asked, not knowing who exactly they were looking for.

"His name is Kisuke Urahara. He is the creator of the Hogyoku, and the person we need to find if we desire to use the full power of the Hogyoku." Patros replied.

"So exactly where can we find this Urahara guy?" Menis asked, equally as curious as his companion.

"I am told that he owns a shop within the confines of this town." Patros replied.

"So what do you want we should do when we find the shop?" Aldegor questioned, wanting to know how they were going to proceed.

"That is simple…" Patros began as a grin overtook his features.

"We knock." Patros finished as the group began to survey the city for the shop they sought.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility **_

"How long have you been holding the Getsuga within Zangetsu Ichigo?" Urahara questioned as he observed Ichigo practicing.

"I've been able to maintain it for three or so hours, that's all." Ichigo replied, causing Urahara to sweat drop.

'_That's all he says… it's been a one week since he started to practice this.' _Urahara thought in disbelief.

"It looks like you finished phase three Ichigo, just in time to." Urahara praised as a grin formed on his face, having gotten over his momentary shock.

"What'd you mean by that Urahara?" Ichigo asked, not knowing why this was his time limit.

"Well you see Ichigo… as I'm sure you're aware… I have to go get supplies for the shop, this process takes two weeks due to the extensive journey I have to partake in. In case you haven't guessed yet, today's the day I leave." Urahara replied.

'_How does it take two weeks to get supplies for a shop that doesn't sell anything?' _Ichigo wondered as he thought about Urahara's trip.

"When exactly do you leave?" Ichigo questioned, wanting to know how much time he made it by.

"Well we leave around midday." Urahara replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Ichigo.

"Why do you ask?" Urahara questioned.

"Because I… wait a minute we?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Urahara to nod in response.

"Yup we, I'm taking Renji Chad and Tessai with me for the trip, mostly just because I don't like to carry things." Urahara answered, causing Ichigo to sight at his laziness.

"So you're bringing both Renji and Chad because you don't like to carry things?" Ichigo asked with a deadpanned expression.

"Well I also kinda lost a bet…" Urahara mumbled incoherently.

"What was that?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow, not able to make out Urahara's response.

"Nothing Ichigo, yes I just don't like to carry things." Urahara replied, releasing a nervous chuckle.

"Switching topics, I'd like to see just how far you've come along with harnessing your Getsuga Tenshou within your sword." Urahara said.

"Alright what'd you have in mind?" Ichigo asked.

"Hmmm… I guess charge the strongest Getsuga you can and hold it in your sword, once you do that go over to that giant rock over there and attempt to crush it with your sword." Urahara stated as he motioned towards.

"Alright then, let's do it!" Ichigo roared as his sword began to exude light blue spiritual energy.

Ichigo charged the large rock swinging his sword, shattering the large stone on contact, as well as creating a decent sized crater due to the force of the impact. After the attack landed the blade ceased its glow of spiritual pressure and Ichigo placed his zanpakuto on his back once more.

"Well that was effective." Urahara said as he sweat dropped upon noticing the destruction Ichigo was able to cause with a single swipe of his blade.

"Anything else that you want me to do Urahara?" Ichigo asked.

"Just how many times are you able to use that attack?" Urahara questioned, curious as to what the attacks continuity rate was.

"Well depends, I can always strengthen my zanpakuto with my Getsuga Tenshou, but my ability to use it with my full powered Getsuga backing my blade is limited to about ten times in a row at most." Ichigo replied.

"I see… well then in that case I'd just like to test out the precision you are capable of exhibiting while containing your Getsuga Tenshou." Urahara stated before getting Ichigo to cut a serious of rock formations, while simultaneously leaving certain ones unharmed.

_**Outside Urahara's Shop**_

"Well it appears we've finally found what we're looking for." Patros stated as he and his comrades stepped towards the entrance of the shop.

"Took long enough." Menis complained.

"Don't complain Menis." Aldegor said in an annoyed tone.

"Hey just who the hell are you?" Jinta questioned as he saw the three arrancar approach the shop.

"I would advise you to continue sweeping boy, as long as we get what we came here for we have no need to kill you." Patros replied, not wanting to waste time.

"You'd advise huh? Take this!" Jinta yelled as he took out his large black club and made to attack the arrancar.

"Jinta don't!" Ururu pleaded, attempting to stop her friends from doing something stupid.

"Jinta homerun!" Jinta roared as he made to strike the blue haired arrancar. Jinta's attack was met only with the buzz of sonido as the three arrancar now appeared in the sky above him.

"What?" Jinta exclaimed, believing that he had landed a direct hit.

"Annoying little bug, its time I squashed you." Patros declared as he put his right hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Level one." Patros stated as he unsheathed his sword, sending a blast of yellow spiritual energy shooting towards Jinta.

"Jinta!" Ururu cried as she pulled Jinta out of the way of the blast, moments before it connected.

As the attack hit the ground a large crater formed, and massive amounts of dust erupted from the hole. The sound of the blast alerted everyone at the shop to the presence of the arrancar.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Ichigo did you hear that?" Urahara questioned upon hearing the explosion from above.

"Yeah I did, guess we should go check it out." Ichigo replied as he began to head for the exit, followed by Urahara.

_**Outside Urahara's Shop**_

"What the hell happened out here?" Renji exclaimed as he ran out of the shop to see what had happened.

"Ururu, Jinta, are you alright?" Tessai asked urgently upon seeing both of them unconscious and cast to the side.

"Well it appears we have more guests, tell me is one of you Kisuke Urahara?" Patros questioned as Chad Tessai and Renji exited the shop.

"What the hell could you possibly want with Urahara?!" Renji yelled, obviously furious with the arrancar.

"That is none of your concern, but I would advise you to hand him over less we be forced to destroy you." Patros replied, getting a death glare from Renji.

"Tessai, get Ururu and Jinta inside… we'll handle this." Chad said in his usual stoic voice, prompting Tessai to nod in agreement.

"Deal with us, ha, that's rich!" Menis taunted as he cackled at the implication of being bested by a Soul Reaper or a human.

"So I take it that you won't be complying then… pity." Patros said as he once again placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Hey guys what the hell happened?" Ichigo asked as he and Urahara exited the shop.

"And who might you two be?" Patros questioned, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword.

'_Arrancar… here?' _Ichigo thought as he saw the three arrancar floating in the air above them.

"They want Urahara for some reason Ichigo." Renji said, wanting to keep Urahara's identity a secret from the arrancar.

"Me… what do they want with me?" Urahara asked rhetorically, causing Renji to face fault.

"You idiot, you weren't supposed to tell them that you're the one their looking for!" Renji screamed, annoyed that someone so intelligent could be so stupid.

"Oh yeah… sorry about that." Urahara apologized sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"So you're Kisuke Urahara?" Patros questioned as he looked at the man wearing a green striped hat, and a pair of clogs.

"Yeah he is what of it?" Ichigo shot back.

"Kisuke Urahara, you will come with us or we will destroy your shop and everyone within it." Patros declared, earning a glare from Ichigo and Renji.

"Well what could you three strong arrancar want with this humble shopkeeper?" Urahara asked as he began to wave his fan across his face.

"You are to show us how we can access the full powers of this." Patros replied as he took the Hogyoku out of his coat pocket, shocking everyone present.

'_I really doubt that Aizen would send arrancar to force me to reveal its secrets… something's not right here.' _Urahara thought as he observed the glass box in the hand of the arrancar.

"Well if you want to get to him you're gonna have to go through us!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"That's right!" Renji yelled, backing Ichigo up, while Chad just stood there and gave a nod of approval.

"That can easily be arranged Soul Reaper." Patros replied.

"If we're really gonna fight I'd rather not do it here." Ichigo stated as he implanted the tip of his zanpakuto into the ground in front of him.

"You three mind a change in scenery?" Ichigo asked the three arrancar.

"The area in which we kill you makes little difference little Soul Reaper." Patros taunted.

"Alight then… Getuga…" Ichigo began as his sword began to glow with his spiritual energy.

"Wait Ichigo were still standi…" Renji said, trying to get Ichigo to stop what he was doing.

"Tenshou!" Ichigo roared causing the attack to split the ground open, revealing a path straight down to the underground training facility.

"Aaaaaaaaaaa!" Renji yelled as he fell towards the ground.

Renji landed on his face while Chad and Ichigo landed on their feet and immediately prepared for a fight with the arrancar.

"It appears we are needed below… shall we?" Patros questioned as he began to descend down the newly formed hole.

"Ichigo you idiot warn us next time!" Renji yelled, infuriated at having landed on his face due to Ichigo's lack of warning.

"Jeez Renji calm down, besides you're the only one who landed on his face." Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone.

"Why you…" Renji began before being cut off.

"If you two are done with your bickering we really should get on with killing you." Patros taunted as he and his comrades landed on the floor of the underground training facility.

"Hey I got blue hair, which are you two fighting?" Ichigo questioned to his friends.

"I got the big guy, you alright with that Chad?" Renji asked as he turned to face Chad, who merely nodded in agreement.

"Alright it's settled, we should probably fight in separate locations so we don't interfere with each other's battles." Renji reasoned, getting nods of agreement from Chad and Ichigo.

"Alright good luck you two." Ichigo said before they turned to face their opponents.

"Hey big guy!" Renji yelled at the group of arrancar.

"Is that guy talkin ta me?" Aldegor questioned, as if speaking to himself.

"Of course he is you moron." Menis taunted.

"No more bickering. Aldegor finish off the Soul Reaper quickly, Menis take the human… oh and do keep your battles a good distance from mine, I wish to fight the boy who has the large amount of spiritual pressure." Patros stated.

"Yes Patros." The two arrancar replied simultaneously.

"All right pineapple head, let's go." Aldegor taunted before using sonido to exit the immediate battlefield.

'_Pineapple head… I'll teach that arrancar who's a pineapple head.'_ Renji thought in anger as he used flash step to follow the arrancar.

"Shall we human?" Menis questioned as before he too used sonido to exit the immediate area.

"Guess I'd better get going…good luck Ichigo." Chad said before running off to fight his opponent.

_**With Renji and Aldegor**_

"Huh, funny I expected to be waiting a little bit, your pretty fast pineapple head." Aldegor exclaimed, surprised that the Soul Reaper got there as fast as he did.

"Who you calling pineapple head?!" Renji roared as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"Well I thought it was obvious that I was calling you pineapple head." Aldegor taunted.

"I'll teach you to mess with me… Now Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji yelled as he unleashed his Shikai sending it hurling towards the arrancar.

The sound of sonido filled the air as the arrancar dodged the attack only to reappear right in front of Renji.

"Not good enough Soul Reaper." Aldegor taunted as he swung his blade, making to cut Renji across his chest.

Renji jumped up into the air dodging the attack while simultaneously unextending Zabimaru.

'_I've got him.' _Renji thought in triumph, having already gotten an opening on his opponent.

"Take this!" Renji roared as he once again extended Zabimaru, this time landing a direct hit on the arrancar.

Renji landed several yards away, unable to observe the damage caused by his direct hit due to the dust surrounding his opponent.

'_That was a direct hit to his left shoulder if he's alive he'll at least be short one arm.'_ Renji thought as he waited for the dust to settle.

"You give up yet?" Renji questioned, assuming his opponent was only wounded.

"Hahahahahahaha." Aldegor cackled.

'_What?' _Renji thought in disbelief.

As the dust settled Aldegor was revealed, a cut appearing over his left shoulder, bleeding slightly, but nowhere near the damage Renji thought he had inflicted.

"Damn, I can believe you landed a lucky hit with how much I underestimated you but I can't believe you actually managed to pierce my hierro." Aldegor stated as he got up from the ground.

'_He's barely even scratched… and I landed a direct hit.' _Renji thought, his expression showing absolute disbelief.

"From the look you're giving me it looks like you figured you'd lopped off my arm… ha… you're going to need to do better than that if you're going to beat me." Aldegor taunted, causing Renji to sweat slightly.

"Since you proved yourself to be more than I expected I'll share with you my name and rank." Aldegor stated as he revealed his number on the upper left side of his chest.

"I am arrancar number 34, better known as Aldegor." Aldegor said as he pointed the tip of his sword at Renji.

"My name is Renji Abarai Lieutenant of squad six." Renji stated as he matched Aldegor's action.

"Let's get this started Soul Reaper!" Aldegor roared as he charged Renji.

"Bout time!" Renji shouted as he charged Aldegor.

_**With Chad and Menis **_

"Uggg, why do I have to get the slow one?" Menis whined as he waited for Chad to show up to his location.

"Bout time, I was getting bored waiting for you." Menis said as Chad walked up to face him.

"Sorry I can't use flash step." Chad replied in his usual tone of voice, causing his opponent to release a tired sigh.

"Tch, whatever just get ready to fight." Menis exclaimed as he pointed his sword at Chad.

"What's your name human?" Menis questioned, wanting to know the name of the guy he was going to kill.

"My name is Yasutora Sado, yours?" Chad questioned.

"I am arrancar number 36…" Menis stated as he revealed his number to be on his right shoulder.

"But you can call me Menis." Menis finished, causing Chad to sweat slightly at fighting the 36th strongest arrancar.

'_This guy is number 36… I have to be careful since I don't know how strong the arrancar acutely are, I can't underestimate him.' _Chad thought as he inspected his opponent.

"You don't have any powers so what good are you supposed to be human?" Menis taunted, believing that he would end this within a second of the fight starting.

"Oh yeah… sorry forgot." Chad stated as his left arm began to glow.

Once the glowing subsided the arm had become armored. The armor was covered in markings colored red and black, and a shield like piece of armor grew from his forearm.

'_What the hell kind of power is this?' _Menis wondered as he witnessed the activation of what appeared to be Chad's powers.

"Looks pathetic human!" Menis yelled as he charged Chad bringing his sword up to finish Chad off with a single strike.

As the blade made to sever Chad's head from his body, the blade abruptly stopped as it hit the shield that took the place of Chad's left forearm.

'_What?' _Menis thought in disbelief as he saw his attack stopped without any effort on the part of his opponent.

"Gah." Chad grunted as he punched the arrancar in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Gravel was upheaved as the arrancar attempted to regain his composure.

'_Damn this guy hits hard… I can't underestimate him like that again.' _Menis thought as he grabbed the part of his body that the punch landed.

"From your reaction it looks like you expected to finish me off." Chad stated in his usual monotone voice, getting a glare from the arrancar.

"I'm going to warn you not to underestimate me." Chad stated, only succeeding in angering the arrancar further.

"You're nothing human!" Menis yelled as he ran at Chad once more, weapon in hand.

_**With Ichigo and Patros**_

"You are very bold in challenging me boy." Patros said as he grabbed the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"Am I now? Care to tell me why?" Ichigo questioned as he scowled at the arrancar before him.

"Because I am known as arrancar number 13, otherwise known as Patros. Of all the arrancar here I am by far the strongest." Patros explained, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in surprise.

'_So this guy is the 13__th__ strongest arrancar… I can't underestimate him if he's this close to the Espada.' _Ichigo thought as he observed his opponent.

"Before we start mind telling me why you have the Hogyoku?" Ichigo asked, causing Patros to laugh.

"I would have thought that was rather obvious, I desire to use its full power and destroy Aizen and all of the Soul Reapers." Patros replied after he ceased his laughter.

'_What did he just say?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief, his expression mirroring his thoughts.

"So you're not acting on Aizen's orders." Ichigo questioned.

"Aizen…" Patros spat.

"No I am acting on my own will, not the will of a weak minded Soul Reaper who believes he can control all hollows." Patros replied with venom backing his words.

"Enough talk boy, the sooner I defeat you the sooner I can utilize the full power of the Hogyoku and complete my objectives." Patros stated as he unsheathed his zanpakuto and charged Ichigo.

"Fine by me." Ichigo stated as he brought his sword up to defend.

**A/N So this is the start of the fighting that will occur. Next chapter should be the conclusion, or not idk. Now the whole Urahara going away thing is actually part of this, though he isn't at the shop when the three arrive at first. Normally Hitsugaya and the dispatch deal with Menis and Aldegor while Renji fights Patros. Though I changed it, and the duration of Urahara's trip for obvious reasons. Secondly, the bet, or rather what exactly it was will be revealed within one or two chapter, just thought I'd throw that out there. **

**Arrankor**: So glad people seemed to like that, to be honest I may have subconsciously done the filler for the chapter just so I could have that conversation happen… xD

**Mexican ninja1996**: Now you don't have to two days in a row! How lucky are you? Also, yeah if I have that happen at some point I am going to have Ichigo flip out… maybe.

**S.R457**: Thanks!

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Thanks, that's what I'm was going for since Ichigo's training was really creative, but it's something he learned during his second fight with Ulquiorra. So I'm glad you didn't mind the filler.

**hornet07**: Kind of funny you point that out, but I never really watched Naruto so I don't really know what your referring to. ^^

**Antex-TheLegendary Zoroark**: Thanks for your review! Here's the next update, hope the fact I update fast compensates for the fact that I refuse to give away the plot…

**Akira Namikaze**: Well here you go!

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, relieved you didn't hate the filler for the chapter, like to keep it not one track and then like another chapter there isn't Ichigo, some stories do a very bad job of that in my opinion.


	8. Benefits of Training

**A/N Well her is chapter 8, the reason it's being posted late at night from where I am is mostly because I post around this time for every update, so I am still posting the chapter on Tuesday. This chapter is mostly fighting and a little bit of comedy at the end, hope you enjoy. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, any of the characters, and I make no money off of this.

**IF YOU WERE CURIOUS ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF THE ARRANCAR, then I will repeat myself from the previous chapters' A/N. The arrancar in my story are all numbered in terms of strength. The fact that the top ten were all ranked and the others were in terms of when they were created was just so stupid in my mind, not that hard to rank them is it? SO that is the reason the numbers are different. **

**Chapter 8 **

_**With Renji and Aldegor **_

"You're not bad Soul reaper." Aldegor complimented as the two slashed at one another in an attempt to end the fight.

"You're not bad yourself arrancar." Renji replied as they continued to clash blades.

'_I've got to think of a way to get another opening on this guy.' _Renji thought between his attacks.

Renji opted to use flash step to get above his opponent trying to get another angle of attack on him while simultaneously catching him off guard.

"Now Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji yelled as he fired his sword directly at the arrancar from his new vantage point.

'_I won't fall for that again.' _Aldegor thought as he dodged the attack via sonido.

The arrancar reappeared in front of Renji as the Soul Reaper landed, sword in hand and ready to strike.

"It's over Soul Reaper!" Aldegor roared as he made to cut Renji in half.

'_I've got him now!' _Renji thought in triumph as he grabbed the arrancar's hand halting the attack.

"What was the point of that Soul Reaper? You're only delaying the inevitable." Aldegor taunted as he applied more pressure to his sword in an attempt to finish to connect the blade with the flesh of his opponent.

"You seem to have forgotten the location of my zanpakuto." Renji said, causing the arrancar to turn around.

'_Damn…' _Aldegor thought as Renji's zanpakuto pierced his side on its return trip to its un-extended form.

The blade cut through Aldegor's hierro cleanly, causing a good bit of bleeding. Aldegor used sonido to back away, seeing no other choice, as he recovered from his new wound.

"Damn you Soul Re…" Aldegor began before being hit with the full force of an extended Zabimaru, sending him hurling back into a nearby rock formation.

'_That should at least slow him down.' _Renji thought as he looked at the rock formation he had sent the arrancar into.

The boulder itself was destroyed, giving a good sing that the arrancar had hit it as hard as he had thought. The only problem was the lack of vision.

"You can't have been defeated so easily." Renji said as he observed the wreckage.

The buzz of sonido sounded directly behind the redheaded Soul Reaper, causing him to turn, only to find Aldegor with his zanpakuto raised and poised to slice him in two.

"Gotcha Soul Reaper!" Aldegor yelled as he sliced Renji down the left side of his body, deep enough to cause some serious pain and a large amount of bleeding.

Renji flash stepped to a nearby rock formation so he could gain some time to recover from the surprise attack.

'_Damn how could I be that careless?' _Renji thought in anger as he looked at the gash that now, unfortunately, graced the left side of his body.

"You… done yet… Soul Reaper?" Aldegor asked, panting heavily.

"I think not, last I checked you're still in worse shape than I am." Renji retorted, panting heavily himself.

"Hahahahahahahahaha." Aldegor began to cackle maniacally, as if he knew something Renji did not.

"That's pretty funny Soul Reaper… me in worse shape than you, like that really matters…" The arrancar began, causing Renji to grow confused.

"Just what the hell are you going on about now?" Renji questioned, obviously not seeing the humor of the situation.

"Oh well… your about to witness an arrancar's Resurreción little Soul Reaper." Aldegor replied, giving off a sickening smirk as he stared down his opponent.

'_Did he just say what I think he said?' _Renji thought as his eyes widened due to what the prospect of facing the infamous Resurreción that thus far no Soul Reaper had encountered.

"Now then…" Aldegor began as he placed his hand on his zanpakuto.

"Breath, Jabali!" The arrancar roared as he was engulfed in spiritual energy.

_**With Chad and Menis**_

"Why is it that you aren't attacking me human?!" Menis questioned, annoyed that his opponent was only blocking his attacks and making no attempt at making a counter.

"I don't really see the need to attack you if you're willing to tire yourself out." Chad replied as he continued to block his opponents repeated strikes, only infuriating the arrancar more.

"You know what human you're really starting to piss me off!" Menis yelled before using sonido to appear farther away in front of Chad.

"Take this human!" Menis roared as he extended his left palm and began to charge a red ball of concentrated spiritual energy.

"Cero." Menis whispered as he launched a massive blast of spiritual pressure towards his opponent.

'_I'd like to see him block this.' _Menis thought with a grin on his face as the blast approached the human.

Chad didn't back down, staring down the torrent of energy as he brought his fist back, looking like he was going to punch the cero as a ball of blue energy formed in his right hand.

"El Directo!" Chad shouted as he sent his attack flying towards the cero.

Chad's attack easily overpowered that of his opponents, charging through the doom blast and rampaging directly towards his hopelessly surprised opponent, sending him flying into a nearby boulder.

"You damn human!" Menis exclaimed as he recovered from his recent hit.

"I'm going to destroy you!" Menis declared as he charged out of blind rage.

Chad brought his hand back once more, charging a ball of blue spirit energy in his fist once more as the arrancar continued to charge at him out of rage.

"El Directo." Chad said, once more sending a devastating blast of energy headed towards the arrancar, who was once again sent flying into a large boulder.

The hollow was battered and beaten as far as appearances go. His left arm appeared shattered, his uniform was torn, and burn markings appeared throughout his body as a result of taking two direct hits from one of Chad's strongest attakcs.

"Damn… you…" Menis whispered weakly as he struggled to get up from the ground.

"You can stop fighting it's clear that you won't be able to win." Chad stated, hoping that the arrancar would accept a merciful death.

"Why don't you just finish me off human?" Menis questioned as he found the strength to pull himself off of the ground.

"I don't like killing, but one way or another that is how this will end, I'd just rather it be merciful." Chad replied, causing the arrancar to laugh.

"Hahahaha… oh that's rich, you'll regret not finishing me off when I was on the ground just now…" Menis stated as he began to release large amounts of spiritual pressure.

"Stab, Erizo!" The arrancar roared as he became engulfed in a wave of spiritual pressure.

'_This must be that Resurreción I've heard about, I just hope that the increase in strength isn't too much or I may end up losing.' _Chad thought as he observed the arrancar's transformation.

'_I just hope the others are doing okay.' _Chad thought as the waves of spiritual pressure died down.

_**With Ichigo and Patros**_

"You're pretty good with a blade for a Soul Reaper." Patros complimented, slightly worried that he was obviously at a disadvantage, as he blocked Ichigo's onslaught of sword strikes.

"Thanks, been working hard at it for the past two weeks." Ichigo relied as he continued to strike the arrancar, not letting up an inch.

'_This is unbelievable, he's actually pushing me back… if this keeps up I won't be able to defeat him with only my zanpakuto.' _Patros thought as he continued to defend himself, still trying to see where he could find an opening in his opponents form.

"Hya." Ichigo grunted as he swung his sword straight across Patros' chest.

Patros blocked the attack but its strength sent him flying back. Dirt and small bits of rocks shot out of the gourd as Patros regained his footing, glaring as he saw the Soul Reaper with a cocky smirk on his face and his zanpakuto placed across his shoulders in a careless fashion.

'_This kid is something I could not have anticipated… how is it that he is so capable with that clunky sword of his?' _Patros wondered as he finally came to a stop.

'_No matter I can always take this to long range combat.' _Patros thought as he reentered his battle stance and pointed his sword at his decidedly skilled opponent.

"You can't be done already arrancar." Ichigo taunted much to Patros' annoyance.

"Don't be arrogant boy you haven't even begun to witness my powers." Patros replied.

"You may be good with that sword of yours but that's only one aspect of combat…" Patros began as he used sonido to appear high in the air out in front of Ichigo, effectively gaining the high ground advantage.

"The true power of my sword is to fire concentrated spirit energy out of it, there are twenty different levels of power, twenty being the highest one being the lowest." Patros explained.

"Each level of these powers is a significant amount stronger than any of the previous levels, even if the difference between the levels is just one." Patros continued.

'_So this guy has an energy attack that has different levels of strength… if I play this out right and test the strength of his attacks I might be able to land a hit on him.' _Ichigo thought, thankful that he had been practicing precision with Getsuga Tenshou for the past two weeks.

"You really think that your little energy attack is gonna do anything?" Ichigo questioned in a nonchalant tone.

"If you're so confident…" Patros said as he put his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"Level one!" Patros roared as he unsheathed his sword sending a beam of yellow spirit energy directly at Ichigo.

The blast connected causing dust to scatter, making the point of impact unable to be seen by Patros, who had a content smirk about his features as he assumed the attack connected.

"So much for his big talk, he couldn't even survive level one." Patros stated as he sheathed his sword once again.

"Couldn't survive level one huh?" Ichigo asked as the dust settled, causing Patros' eyes to widen in shock as his opponents condition became clear to him.

"What?" Patros exclaimed in disbelief as his intended target had not a scratch on him.

"You know if you use attacks as weak as that your chances of beating me aren't really all that good." Ichigo taunted as he revealed himself to have not even attempted to evade the attack.

'_He didn't even move… even if it is level 1 of my attack he shouldn't be unscathed after taking a direct hit.' _Patros thought as he began to sweat due to the apparent ineffectiveness of his attack.

"Don't get too confident boy that was just level one." Patros stated as he regained his composure.

"Let's see how you handle level 2…" Patros said a she placed his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

Patros unsheathed his sword, sending a blast more powerful than his previous attack headed directly for Ichigo. As the blast approached Ichigo brought his sword up and slashed attack straight down the middle, forcing it split in two, leaving Ichigo completely unharmed.

"I'll say it again…" Ichigo began as he rested his zanpakuto on his shoulder once more.

"If you continue to come at me with weak attacks you won't win." Ichigo stated, hoping to goad Patros.

'_I really can't toy with this one it seems.' _Patros thought upon his attack once more being effortlessly deflected.

"Hey arrancar!" Ichigo shouted, gaining the arrancar's attention.

"I can feel the change in spiritual pressure of your friends out there… I know that must mean they used Resurreción." Ichigo said, as if hinting on something.

"Just what are you getting at boy?" Patros questioned, not seeing the point in the boys words.

"Based on what I've already seen this fight is gonna be pretty boring if you don't release your sword, so I suggest you do so now." Ichigo replied, annoying Patros to no end.

"Boring fight eh boy? I'll show you boring!" Patros roared as he began sheathing and resheathing his sword, repeatedly firing the energy attacks from his sword.

'_There we go, now all I've got to do is get him to use his strongest one… then I can make my move.' _Ichigo thought as he used flash step to dodge the myriad of attacks.

"Not so confident now are you boy? How do you like my level 8 attack?!" Patros shouted as he continued to send the attacks at Ichigo.

"Tch, not impressed." Ichigo scoffed as he continued to dodge the onslaught of attacks, causing Patros to become even more annoyed.

"Really boy, then perhaps I should up the level!" Patros roared as the attacks all of a sudden became faster and more powerful.

"As powerful as these attacks are they are only level 12." Patros shouted with a cocky smirk on his face as he continued to fire his attacks.

"Since it's clear you can't hit me how bout you give me your best shot and I'll give you mine?" Ichigo questioned, causing Patros to cease his attacks.

"Ha, don't make me laugh boy a direct hit from my level 15 attack would easily disintegrate you." Patros gloated with contempt evident in his voice.

"If you truly believe that then you have nothing to lose." Ichigo replied, causing Patros' smirk to disappear.

"Come on give it your best shot, I won't move from this spot." Ichigo taunted, causing Patros to grow annoyed.

"Very well boy, now get ready…" Patros said as he put his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto once more.

'_Here it comes.' _Ichigo thought as he prepared to enact his plan.

"Level 15!" Patros roared as he fired a colossal wave of spiritual energy straight towards Ichigo.

As the attack grew closer and closer Ichigo brought Zangetsu over his head, his sword radiating light blue spiritual energy.

'_Here goes something.' _Ichigo thought as he brought his sword over his head and poured more of his spiritual energy into his zanpakuto.

"Getsuga…" Ichigo began.

'_He can't possibly mean to counter my attack.' _Patros thought as he witnessed the waves of energy radiating from the boys blade.

"…Tenshou!" Ichigo roared as he brought his zanpakuto down, sending the blast of spiritual energy straight towards Patros' attack.

The two waves of spiritual energy met in-between the two, clashing briefly before Ichigo's Getsuga crushed through Patros' attack.

'_What? That's not possible' _Patros thought in disbelief as he witnessed his level 15 attack defeated, and the blast of blue spiritual energy headed straight for him.

The blast connected creating an explosion where the arrancar stood in the air, smoke making the area of impact unable to be seen.

'_Had a feeling that would work.' _Ichigo thought as he observed the effectiveness of his strategy.

'_If he is alive he's injured severely but I can't let my guard down for a second with this guy.' _Ichigo thought as he entered his battle stance, still staring at the smoke, waiting for it to clear.

As the smoke cleared, the arrancar was revealed. His clothes were torn from his upper body and blood poured from a wound that came straight down the left side of his body where the attack had landed. His body was badly burnt and he was panting heavily, but he was alive nonetheless.

'_Damn that kid… I can't believe I let him lead me on like that…' _Patros thought in anger as he panted heavily.

'_How is the left side of his body still there?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief, his expression matching his thoughts.

"How is it that the left side of your body is still attached?" Ichigo questioned, deciding to voice his thoughts.

"Ha… we arrancar… have iron skin known as hierro… my… hierro is quite… quite strong… which may very well be…the only reason that attack of yours… didn't kill me." Patros replied, still panting heavily.

"Figures." Ichigo grumbled, believing his attack to have done more damage.

'_This kid is really something else.' _Patros thought as he regained his composure and ceased panting.

"So I take it that your strategy was to goad me into using an attack I believed would crush you, at which point you revealed to have an attack you believed would be stronger… am I wrong?" Patros asked as he went over the strategy that nearly ended in his demise.

"That pretty much sums it up." Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone.

"The fact that you believed me to be so inferior to you is what gave me such a huge advantage." Ichigo stated as he entered his battle stance once more.

'_I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to resort to this…' _Patros thought as he was forced into accepting his only remaining option if he were to win this battle.

"What is your name Soul Reaper?" Patros questioned, wanting to know the name of someone he deemed worthy of destroying.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soul Reaper!" Ichigo shouted, causing Patros to go wide eyed at his realization of who this boy really was.

'_Kurosaki…this is the boy Aizen was interested in.' _Patros thought as he realized he had severely underestimated his opponent.

"If you truly are who you say you are then I have made a grave error in judgment." Patros stated much to Ichigo's confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, not knowing what Patros meant with his choice of words.

"I now have no regrets in using this on you…" Patros began as grabbed his sword and began to release massive amounts of yellow spiritual energy.

'_This is it…' _Ichigo thought as he anticipated what the arrancar was about to do. Patros held the blade vertically out in front of him, gripping the hilt with both hands before saying the release phrase.

"Defile, Gerifalte!" Patros shouted as he became engulfed in a sphere of spiritual pressure.

_**With Renji and Aldegor **_

As the spiritual pressure ceased its eruption from the arrancar, its new form could be seen.

Where a large human looking hollow once stood, there was now an arrancar in his fully released form. His upper body, once bare, became covered in a thick white armor-like substance. His hands grew in size and six appendages extended from his back, made of the white armor like substance and seemingly able to function as extra arms.

"This is my true form and you will learn to fear my true power!" Aldegor roared, now in his Resurreción form.

'_How is it that he is completely unharmed?' _Renji thought, his expression being one of absolute shock.

"Judging from your reaction you're wondering how I'm unharmed right. Ha, little Soul Reaper, once an arrancar releases its Resurreción its true form is shown and its previous wounds are healed!" Aldegor explained, having noticed the shock of his opponent.

"Now you see why you can't hope to beat me. Hahahahahaha." The arrancar cackled.

'_I need to see what he is capable of in this form before I can formulate a proper strategy.' _Renji thought as he recovered from his initial shock.

"Don't get too cocky arrancar. Now Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji shouted as he sent his zanpakuto in for a strike at the arrancar.

"Not good enough Soul Reaper." Aldegor taunted as he brought his appendages in front of him to protect himself from the attack, effectively causing Zabimaru to bounce harmlessly off of him as if it were nothing more than a mere paper airplane.

"I'm not done just yet." Renji said as he unexpended his sword and began to charge the arrancar.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flitter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" Renji chanted as he extended his left hand, continuing to charge his opponent.

'_What the hell is he doing?' _Aldegor wondered as he heard Renji chanting something.

"Hado number 31, Shakkaho!" Renji shouted, sending a massive blast of red spiritual energy from the palm of his outstretched hand spiraling towards the arrancar with incredible speeds.

"Not good enough Soul Reaper." Aldegor taunted as he brought his appendages out in front of him once more to defend himself.

"Ha, don't make me laugh." Aldegor taunted as the ball of fire came closer and closer.

The spell connected creating a massive explosion, but the hierro the Aldegor in his Resurreción easily made the impact of the blast close to nothing, which became evident as the appendages retreated from in front of the hollow and revealed him to not even be partially wounded.

"Was that supposed to hurt me Soul Reaper?" Aldegor joked.

Aldegor's feeling of superiority left sooner than it came, as he spotted Renji's extended sword swiping across the battlefield towards the left side of his body.

"You bastard!" Aldegor yelled as the extended zanpakuto hit his side, sending him flying into a large boulder and piercing his hierro.

'_I can't make the mistake of thinking that he's out of it again.' _Renji thought as he entered his battle stance, ready for the arrancar to come out.

As the dust settled, a red orb of spiritual energy could be seen, originating from the mouth of the arrancar. The blast fired moments after the arrancar became visible, heading straight towards Renji.

"It's a cero." Renji realized before quickly using flash step to escape the path of the crimson doom blast.

'_Where did he go?' _Renji wondered, only to get an answer a moment later as he heard the characteristic sound of a sonido from behind him.

"Gotcha Soul Reaper." Aldegor said in triumph as he hit Renji with all six of his arm-like appendages, sending him flying into the ground below.

The sudden attack caught Renji completely off guard, so much so that he hadn't even realized it had happened until he made contact with the ground, shattering the earth and creating a small crater due to the impact.

"Damn." Renji exclaimed as he recovered from the blow and got up bit by bit from his landing point.

"You're pathetic Soul Reaper!" Aldegor shouted as he gazed upon his clearly injured opponent.

"Can you feel that spiritual pressure Soul Reaper?" Aldegor questioned with a grin on his face, causing Renji to go wide eyed upon sensing the massive spiritual pressure coming from Ichigo's opponent.

"Even if you could defeat me, Patros has released and not a being present in this town is stronger than he." Aldegor gloated.

'_That guy's arrogant… but he is right about that spiritual pressure being massive… better I end this now so I can help Ichigo should I need to.' _Renji thought as he assessed the situation.

"Sorry to disappoint you arrancar…" Renji began, prompting his opponent to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't have any more time to waste with you… I'm ending this… now." Renji stated, causing the arrancar to laugh.

"Oh that's rich, what are you gonna do Soul Reaper? Bore me to death?" Aldegor laughed out.

"Laugh at this you fat excuse for a hollow!" Renji shouted as he entered his Bankai stance.

"Bankai!" Renji shouted as he became engulfed in red spiritual energy.

'_A Bankai?' _Aldegor thought with worry, not thinking that a lieutenant was capable of having such power.

"Hihio Zabimaru." Renji said as his swords transformation completed, revealing a large snake like sword with red fur surrounding the head.

"This ends with one attack." Renji stated in a deadly serious tone.

"Bring it on Soul Reaper I'll take anything you can throw at me!" Aldegor yelled as he brought his arms in front of his to defend against the oncoming attack.

Renji swung his sword sending Zabimaru straight towards his opponent as red energy began to travel up the sections of the swords body, originating from its hilt.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji roared as the energy reached the mouth of his Bankai, sending his most powerful attack at the arrogant arrancar.

'_I will not… cannot lose to a Soul Reaper, it's not possible!' _Aldegor thought arrogantly as the massive ball of spiritual energy raged through the air. He made no effort to move, deciding to take the powerful attack head on and to defeat his opponent with nothing short of pure strength.

The attack connected, disintegrating the arrancar instantly, ending the fight as Renji has intended it too. Dust roared from the point of impact and a massive crater could be seen where the arrancar once stood with his arms raised to defend Renji's attack.

"If he hadn't tried to take that head on he probably could have drawn the fought out longer…what an idiot." Renji commented as he resealed his sword into a standard Zanpakuto.

_**With Chad and Menis **_

Where the small arrancar once stood, there was now a hideous monstrosity, resembling a porcupine-like hollow. His entire upper body became enveloped in a white armor, and his arms became long and spiral like, ending in a straight point where the fingers once were, and a tail protruded from the center of his back, similar in appearance to his arms. His face was not completely covered with a hollow mask, which took the shape of a six sided star, a mouth at the dead center with sharp teeth. Around his arms and tail red fur was present, only adding to his feral appearance.

"Scared human?" Menis taunted as he gazed upon Chad in his fully resurrected state.

"Should I be?" Chad retorted, obviously not fazed by the arrancar's new appearance.

"Tch, seeing as I'm now in perfect health…" Menis trailed off, expecting a different reaction.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm really not scared of that new look of yours." Chad replied.

"That's your mistake human!" Menis shouted as he extended his arms towards Chad, who blocked one with his shield and grabbed the other with his free hand.

Chad began to sweat as the arrancar applied more pressure in his push, nearly succeeding in pushing the giant human back.

"Forgot about one thing human!" Menis shouted as he sent his tail straight at Chad, successfully pounding Chad's body and sending him into a nearby boulder.

"Hahahahaha." Menis laughed manically as he repeatedly struck the spot, in which Chad had become imbedded, with his arms and tail.

"You can't hope to beat me human, even if you could you have to sense that Patros has released and you stand no chance against him!" Menis roared as he continued to strike blindly at the location he expected Chad to be.

The large human had held his shield up strong, taking blow after blow as his opponent refused to let up and continued to pound away at the rock, embedding him further and further into the large boulder.

'_He's right I've got to finish this off quickly so I can go help Ichigo.' _Chad thought as he became determined to fight.

"That outta do it." Menis said contentedly as he ceased his barrage of attacks, believing himself to be the victor.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Chad said in a monotone voice, alerting his presence to the arrancar.

'_How on earth could he have survived that?' _Menis wondered in anger as he saw that his opponent was completely unharmed.

"You see…" Chad began, bringing the arrancar's focus back to him.

"My right arm has always been used for defending… I've always known that, which is why it makes sense that it takes the form of a shield when I use my power." Chad explained, though his prattle only angered his opponent further.

"Why the hell are you telling me this human?" Menis asked in an irritated tone.

"I'm telling you this because I'm about to show you…" Chad began as he brought his right arm out in the open revealing its change.

"…the power of my left arm." Chad finished.

His arm became white with red markings scattered and spiraling at random locations on the arm, forming no specific patter. A lone spike appeared at the top of his shoulder. All in all it gave his arm the appearance of a hollow's.

"So your saying that right arm of yours is more powerful than your other arm. Tch, we'll see about that!" Menis shouted as he shot his right arm towards Chad, only for it to be caught by Chad's left hand.

'_What is he up to?' _Menis wondered as he, unsuccessfully, tried to release himself from his opponents grip.

"Grah." Chad grunted as he pulled with all his might, bringing the arrancar shooting towards him.

As the arrancar neared Chad brought his right arm back, as if making to punch the arrancar.

"La Muerte!" Chad shouted as he punched the arrancar with his left arm, shattering his hierro and hollow mask while simultaneously sending him flying in the opposite direction.

The arrancar hit a boulder on the opposite side of their battlefield, creating a skull as he made contact. His expression was a mixture of awe and disbelief as he could feel himself beginning to vanish from existence, as was the fate of arrancar who were defeated in battle.

"Imm… impossible." Menis whispered weakly before he turned to dust, leaving an opponent with a sad yet solemn look due to having to end the fight and actually kill his opponent.

"Alright now I need to go help Ichigo." Chad said as he began to run back towards Ichigo.

_**With Ichigo and Patros **_

As the spiritual pressure died down Patros could be seen in his true form. His legs remained unchanged but his upper body changed dramatically. His chest and back became surrounded by ball like armor, having only three openings in its present on chest and middle abdomen. Two diamond shaped sheaths that appeared to house some kind of weapon where his left and right arms were, completing his upper body's appearance as that of a cannon ball. His mask not covered all of his face with the acceptation of his hair, which exuded from the opening in the upper left hand corner of his skull.

"I hope you are indeed honored boy… it is a rarity that I grace an opponent with seeing my Resurreción." Patros said, his voice exuding arrogance.

"I'm so honored." Ichigo replied, sarcasm dominant in his voice.

"Don't mock me boy or you may not live very long." Patros threatened as he glared at Ichigo.

"It's not all that impressive… exactly what advantage does that form give you? You're quite obviously less mobile." Ichigo pointed out, prompting Patros to smirk at his choice of words.

"Power!" Patros shouted as he unsheathed a claw like appendage from the diamond like piece of armor that took the place of his right arm.

The arrancar began to laugh manically as he continued to fire shot after shot from both of his left and right armored sheath, much more quickly than before, and packing infinitely more power in his shots.

'_Damn he's getting faster, moreover he can fire from the left and right side of his body… he has to have some weakness.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to dodge the repeated attacks.

"Why do you run Soul Reaper?" Patros questioned as he stopped his barrage of attacks.

"Why take a hit when I can dodge?" Ichigo shot back.

"Well then I guess I'll just have to crush you with one attack." Patros stated, giving Ichigo an idea of how to end the fight.

'_He's stopped firing from both of his arms… the longer he has those things in its sheath the more powerful the attack… but there's something else, he has to resheath his arms after each attack… if I'm right then I should be able to finish this quickly.' _Ichigo thought as he came up with another plan of attack.

"Get ready boy!" Patros shouted as he unleashed both of his arms from their sheaths, sending two incredibly powerful bursts of energy at Ichigo with incredible speeds.

As the blast connected a massive explosion erupted, sending dust and debris everywhere, making the immediate battlefield unable to be seen by anyone.

"You will get no mercy Soul Reaper!" Patros declared as he reshethed his arms, after which his arms began to radiate yellow spiritual energy, signifying a very powerful attack was imminent.

"BURST, GERIFALTE!" Patros roared before he became engulfed with a sphere of the spiritual energy that had been building up in his blades.

The end result was the sphere rapidly spreading through the battlefield, rampaging through the earth and sending massive amounts of rocks shooting out of its path. The blast of energy subsided after the sphere had reached its limit, revealing a barren wasteland around Patros, who was currently looking for his opponent.

"All that talk and he died like that… what a shame." Patros said with light disappointment as me made to reseath his claw-like arms.

To Patros' surprise his right claw was caught before he could resheath it, revealing an unharmed Ichigo to be the person who grabbed it.

"How?" Patros exclaimed in absolute disbelief.

"I told you that your attacks were too slow, no matter how powerful." Ichigo replied as he began to harness the power of Getsuga Tenshou within his zanpakuto, making it glow with heavy spiritual pressure.

"I figured out your weakness, and now it's over." Ichigo said as he brought his sword over his head.

"I can't lose to a pathetic Soul Reaper!" Patros roared right before Ichigo brought his sword down on Patros' face, splitting his body in two.

Patros' form reverted back to his pre-Resurreción form as the two halves of his body fell to the ground. As his body began to turn to dust, the Hogyoku fell out of his jacket pocket, landing on the desert terrain below as Patros finally faded into nothingness.

'_Finally that over with.' _Ichigo thought in relief before he was broken out of thought.

"Ichigo!" Rangiku chirped as she captured Ichigo in another death hug, suffocating him between her breasts as she did so.

"You won Ichigo!" Rangiku said as she continued to suffocate Ichigo.

"Lucky bastard…" Ikkaku mumbled incoherently as he witnessed the greeting Ichigo always received from Rangiku.

"Don't be so uncouth Ikkaku." Yumichika chided, being the only one who heard Ikkaku complain.

"Rangiku we discussed this." Hitsugaya said in an annoyed tone as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"Oh yeah… sorry Captain." Rangiku apologized, though she still held Ichigo in between her breasts for a moment more.

'_Spoil sport.' _Rangiku thought as she reluctantly complied with her orders, sending Ichigo to the ground with a deep red blush on his face as he gasped for air.

"Well it looks like crisis averted wouldn't you all agree?" Urahara said as he began to form his characteristic grin.

"Yes I would say so, Ikkaku go and retrieve the Hogyoku." Hitsugaya ordered.

"Yes sir." Ikkaku responded, only to be stopped by Ichigo, who had been recovering from lack of breath.

"Don't bother it's definitely not the real Hogyoku." Ichigo stated, still blushing madly as a result of what just happened, much to Ikkaku's confusion.

"Just what are you talking about Ichigo?" Ikkaku asked before he noticed how red Ichigo's face was.

"Jeez your head looks like it's about to blow up." Ikkaku stated, as he began to laugh so hard he began cried.

"That just means he liked it." Rangiku chirped triumphantly, causing Ichigo to blush more.

'_Aw he's so cute when he blushes.' _Rangiku thought as she saw Ichigo's blush deepen.

"Back to what I was saying…" Ichigo began though gritted teeth.

"Those arrancar were not here on Aizen's behalf, they took that rock over there from him and came here on their own." Ichigo stated much to the shock of everyone else.

"Hey Ichigo looks like you wo… what the hell happened to your face?" Renji asked as he and Chad arrived, noticing Ichigo's crimson face.

"These happened." Rangiku said in triumph as she picked up her breasts and dropped them for emphasis, causing Ikkaku to fall over laughing, Yumichika to snort, and Renji to blush himself.

'_Why do I put up with her?' _Hitsugaya wondered in irritation.

"Enjoy your flirting on your own time Rangiku for now let Ichigo finish." Hitsugaya said, deciding that he may as well save Ichigo the torture.

"Awwwwwww, you never let me have any fun." Rangiku whined.

"Thank you Toshiro." Ichigo said, relieved that he wouldn't be tortured anymore.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you!" Hitsugaya shouted as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"You were saying Ichigo…" Urahara said, wanting to get back on track.

"Yeah, the arrancar that I fought told me that he was not acting on Aizen's orders, which can only mean they defected. I assume that Aizen sent them here to their deaths with a fake Hogyoku… I highly doubt someone like Aizen didn't see something like this coming." Ichigo explained.

'_Wow Ichigo is actually capable of intelligent thought? When did this happen?' _Urahara thought with wide eyes upon hearing Ichigo's reasoning.

"Exactly what I was thinking Ichigo… it appears you and I were right…" Urahara stated as he crushed the fake Hogyoku with his fingers.

"The real Hogyoku is unbreakable… believe me I've tried." Urahara explained as he brushed the remnants of the crushed glass orb off of his hand.

"Aizen most likely only wanted entertainment value in sending them here. He has no other angle I can think of." Urahara reasoned, attempting to figure out why Aizen would do something like this.

"Best we not think about it. However I do bring news from the Soul Society." Hitsugaya said, gaining everyone's attention.

"We are now in wartime protocol… Lieutenant Abarai this means that you are no longer required to use the seal that restricts your powers…you should have noticed that it was gone by now correct?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"Yes, during my fight with that arrancar I noticed that I was capable of using the full force of my Bankai." Renji replied as he thought back to the final attack he sent at his opponent.

"Hold on a second Toshi… Captain Hitsugaya. What exactly does the activation of wartime protocol mean?" Ichigo asked, a confused expression etched on his face.

"The activation of wartime protocol means that the duties of all captain and lieutenant class soul reapers are suspended in order for them to train for the upcoming war." Hitsugaya answered.

"However myself and the dispatch team are to remain here in Karakura Town to safeguard it from any dangers that present themselves." Hitsugaya clarified.

"Let's go you three we're leaving." Hitsugaya ordered as he left via the hole in the ceiling.

"Come visit sometime Ichigo." Rangiku purred as she blew Ichigo a kiss before leaving, causing Ichigo to blush profusely.

'_Just a few more hours just a few more hours just a few more hours.' _Yoruichi chanted in thought, rather looking forward to being able to tease the redheaded teen once more.

"Hahahahahahahahaha." Ikkaku cackled as he saw Ichigo blush once more.

"Your so immature Ikkaku, let's go already." Yumichika scoffed, obviously annoyed by Ikkaku's repeated reaction to Ichigo's blushing.

"Fine, fine, I'm comin." Ikkaku grumbled as he followed Yumichika up the hole.

"Ichigo I've wanted to ask you this for some time…" Urahara began, causing Ichigo to look directly at him.

"What is it Urahara?" Ichigo questioned.

"Why the hell did you blow a hole through the front of my shop?!" Urahara yelled in mock anger.

"Who do you think pays for these things?" Urahara whined as he began to cry overdramatic tears.

"Give me a break, it was either that or destroy the shop above us!" Ichigo shouted, a tick mark appearing on his forehead.

"Oh woe as me…" Urahara continued to sob.

'_Why do I have to put up with this?' _Ichigo thought as he continued to watch Urahara whine.

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi began, bringing Urahara out of his overdramatic tirade.

"The time…" Yoruichi said, causing Urahara to panic at the realization of what time it was.

"Renji, Chad, get up to the shop it's time to go, go, go!" Urahara ordered, causing the two to nod in understanding and head up the ladder.

'_He's leaving already?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw Urahara scramble to leave the underground training facility.

'_Almost…' _Yoruichi thought as she wagged her tail, a devilish smirk appearing on her face.

**A/N What does Yoruichi have planned for Ichigo? Well a lot of teasing that much is implied, but who am I, oh wait I'm the author. **

**darkmachines**: Grimmjow's fraccion are still alive though I will not make the likes staple characters of the story at all. As for the number mistake, see **A/N **at either the last chapter, or at the start of this one for clarification. Though you have a good suggestion with the number, which I actually like a lot, I intend to make the fact that Patros was strong, which is true, and was defeated by a Soul Reaper without the use of Bankai a bit of commotion in Hueco Mindo… rumors spread fast I guess ^^

**Antex-the Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks and you bet!

**SSj3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Well he was, and in a fitting way due to the training. Oddly enough the reason I added this was because I just felt like Renji fighting Patros in the Anime was kinda too filler-esque. At least this way I get to show off Chad's powers more quickly than they should be shown, and show how strong Ichigo gets with his Shikai.

**the DragonBard**: Yes, yes, I know. I changed it for my story because that makes a hell of a lot more sense than just having the top then having everything else being in order of creation. Mainly because how the hell would the top ten exist if at first you needed to make them and then decided to change their numbers? This way it's just easier, plus I get to illustrate how far Ichigo goes in training with his Shikai by defeating a near Espada-level opponent.

**Unstoppable150**: Thanks, and I hope to continue to make it awesome.

**Guest(1)**: I somewhat am, like I am aware of the true form of Zangetsu being two blades, one representing Quincy powers and the other the Hollow/Soul Reaper powers. That won't really make too much of an impact on this story, and you'll see what I mean when we get there.

**Guest(2)**: The watch is unfortunately nothing that has to do with a fullbring. This was very, very, creative and something that I myself didn't actually think about so props to you, but the watch will have some gravity later on, you'll find out how so eventually ^^

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, and you get to find out in… what I believe is next chapter, which should have some comedy in it, then chapter 10 gets kinda mushy and fluffy, but very readable since you know me… I always add entertainment! (or at least try to xD)


	9. All Alone

**A/N Well here is another chapter, the next one will go by rather quickly, and have kind of a sappy feel to it by the end, though it should be somewhat entertaining. Also Aizen's plan is revealed, though I focus more on what his interactions with the Espada would be like, seeing as how they likely didn't know what Aizen was doing until they told him. Also an excuse to add them into the story more quickly. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 9**

_**Outside Urahara's Shop**_

"Tessai get ready it's time to go on our trip!" Urahara shouted as he haphazardly ran into the kitchen.

"But boss I still need to fix the hole in the roof of the training grounds." Tessai responded.

"Alright then go do that while Chad Renji and I get packed up." Urahara said as he began running up the stairs and towards his room.

"Why don't you two go help since they are running late?" Yoruichi asked as she entered the room, still in cat form.

"Don't be foolish Yoruichi, they aren't able to come with us anyway so what's the point in helping us prepare?" Tessai replied in a tone of slight amusement, causing a tick mark to appear on Jinta's forehead.

"Why is it that I can't go Tessai?" Jinta questioned, annoyed at the implication that he couldn't do something.

"Well you see Jinta this trip is no place for kids and…" Tessai began before being cut off.

"KID?!" Jinta shouted at the top of his lungs, causing Tessai to wince at the volume of his voice.

"Yes Jinta, you shouldn't come with us." Tessai stated as he rubbed his ears in an attempt to recover his hearing.

"Oh come on Tessai if they want to go let them… at least they wouldn't destroy the shop while you were gone." Yoruichi commented, a smirk gracing her features, knowing that she had just gotten Tessai to insist that the kids go with them.

"That is an excellent point Yoruichi… Jinta and Ururu it is decided you're going with us!" Tessai ordered, having sweat dropped at the implication that the two would destroy his beloved shop while he and the others were away.

"Yeah!" Jinta said in triumph as he jumped in the air, fist pumping.

"Okay Mr. Tessai, what do we have to do?" Ururu asked in her usual sad sounding tone, wanting to be as useful as she could be.

"Oh why don't you two just pack up some things, remember it is a two week journey." Tessai replied. Immediately after these words were said both of the children began to run up the stairs towards their rooms, Jinta running up first and quickly followed by Ururu.

"Exactly what is it that you will be doing Tessai?" Yoruichi questioned as Tessai pulled out a bag of cement.

"I have a hole to close up." Tessai said before running off to close the gap in the training rooms' ceiling.

The sly black cat trotted over to a bowl of milk with a smirk of content etched on its face.

'_Too easy…' _Yoruichi thought as she began to drink milk from her bowl.

_**Common Area**_

"Did you notice that everyone seems to be leaving?" Ririn asked her fellow mod souls.

"Yes, it appears as if they are all going on some trip, except apparently Ichigo and Yoruichi." Noba replied, causing Ririn and Kurodo to go wide eyed.

"What, when did Jinta and Ururu decide to leave?!" Ririn screeched causing Kurodo to rub his ears to quell the resulting pain.

"You know you could have asked in a lower voice." Kurodo whined as he continued to rub his ears.

"Oh sorry about that you guys." Ririn said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Just a few moments ago I overheard Tessai telling Ururu and Jinta that they were to be coming along for the trip as well… for what reason I do not know." Noba said, answering Ririn's previous question.

"Maybe they just don't want the shop to be destroyed… you know how much Tessai cares for it." Kurodo reasoned, eliciting nods of agreement from Noba and Ririn.

"So I guess it's down to five of us then." Ririn said as she counted out how many people would be present in the shop for the next two weeks.

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that…" Yoruichi said as she walked into the room, gaining the attention of the mod souls.

"Whaddya mean Yoruichi?" Ririn questioned with a confused expression about her face.

"Kisuke wanted me to tell you something…" Yoruichi began.

_**Las Noches: Chambers of the Hogyoku**_

The halls of Las Noches lie silent as the news of Patros' betrayal and subsequent death by the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki reached Las Noches. Patros was an arrogant fool but he was the thirteenth strongest arrancar in the army that Aizen had amassed. To make matters even more interesting, he was defeated without the use of Bankai, making the experience even more nerve-wracking for all arrancar, even a few Espada.

The doors to the chambers of the Hogyoku open as Ulquiorra walks towards the center of the room to receive instructions from his master.

"You summoned me Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked as he bowed to his master.

"Yes indeed I did Ulquiorra… I desire your opinion on a matter pertaining to my future plans." Aizen stated, causing Ulquiorra to grow curious though is expression remained impassive.

"What might this matter be my lord?" Ulquiorra asked.

"You are aware of the human girl Orihime Inoue correct?" Aizen questioned.

"Yes, indeed I am… I had the opportunity to observe her healing abilities when we observed the powers of Ichigo Kurosaki not two weeks ago." Ulquiorra replied.

"Then by all means tell me what you thought of her power." Aizen said, prompting Ulquiorra to continue speaking.

"Her powers are indeed interesting to say the least.' Ulquiorra began, prompting Aizen to nod in agreement.

"Her healing ability is indeed remarkable and will prove to be a nuisance should it be used against us in the coming war." Ulquiorra continued.

"I see… than you view her as a potential threat?" Aizen questioned, his ever-present smile still not leaving his features.

"An indirect threat but a threat nonetheless Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied.

"Very well… In the near future I will be giving you instructions which I will need you to carry out flawlessly if my plan is to work." Aizen stated.

"I will not fail you Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied in a tone that breathed conviction.

"You are dismissed Ulquiorra… oh and when you leave do tell Gin to stop eavesdropping." Aizen said, prompting Ulquiorra to exit the chambers.

"Lord Aizen has asked that you stop eavesdropping." Ulquiorra stated as he saw Gin standing outside the door with a glass not so well hidden behind his back.

"Who me?" Gin asked innocently.

"Why is it that you are so curious about Lord Aizen's plans?" Ulquiorra asked, curious as to Gin's motivation.

"And you're not?" Gin retorted.

Ulquiorra made to respond but stopped himself before he spoke, realizing that he was indeed curious as to what it was Aizen was planning.

"Thought so…" Gin chided as he noticed Ulquiorra's silence.

"Truth be told I'm rather bored, not much to do and I'm hoping this grand plan of his he's kept secret will provide some entertainment around here…" Gin began, losing his grin before continuing.

"I just wish I knew what the damn plan was." Gin said through gritted teeth as he stomped his foot on the ground in annoyance, earning a chuckle from Tosen, who had appeared from down the hall.

"Gin, I thought I told you it wasn't healthy to dwell on your curiosity." Tosen joked, smiling at Gin's clear frustration.

"He does have a point." Ulquiorra commented.

"No fare, its two against one." Gin whined as he hung his head in defeat.

"Do try to be patient Gin, at least for the sake of everyone else." Tosen said before he walked down the hallway, Ulquiorra following suit.

'_I feel like I'm being punished for something.' _Gin thought as he walked down the hall, trying to think of something to pass the time.

_**Outside Urahara's Shop**_

"Alright everyone, it looks like we're ready to leave!" Urahara chirped as everyone gathered outside the shop's entrance.

"Urahara before you leave I have a question for you." Ichigo said, wanting to asks something that had been bugging him since he learned about the trip.

"Yes Ichigo?" Urahara asked.

"Where exactly do you go for two weeks?" Ichigo questioned.

"Well wouldn't you like to know?" Urahara said as he brought his fan out and waved it over his face, concealing the grin that graced his features.

"Yeah I would like to know that's why I asked." Ichigo deadpanned.

"Well would you look at the time must be going now." Urahara said, causing a tick mark to appear on Ichigo's head.

'_It figures he wouldn't answer my damn question.' _Ichigo thought in annoyance.

"Goodbye Kisuke stay out of trouble." Yoruichi said as she waved her paw goodbye to the group.

"See ya guys, come back safe." Ichigo said as he waved his hand goodbye at the caravan of people.

'_Finally…' _Yoruichi thought, smirking as the group became lost from sight.

"What's up with you Yoruichi you seem awfully happy today?" Ichigo questioned as he looked down to see the smirk the cat now sported.

"Oh it's nothing Ichigo… now if you'll be so kind as to follow me to the training facility." Yoruichi replied, causing Ichigo to face vault.

"Problem?" Yoruichi asked as she noticed Ichigo's expression.

"What the hell do you mean training facility?! I just fought the thirteenth strongest arrancar, don't I get a break?!" Ichigo shouted in mock anger.

"Ichigo… do you remember what I said to you two weeks ago after you finally woke up?" Yoruichi asked as she glared at the teen.

"Let me think…" Ichigo trailed off, tapping his chin in thought.

'_Oh crap!' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as he realized what she had said to him.

"I-I uh k-kinda remember what you s-said." Ichigo replied, fear evident in his voice.

"Oh really, because let me remind you that I told you I wasn't going to go easy on you when it came to my turn to train you… if you don't want to make it worse on yourself I suggest you stop complaining." Yoruichi stated, causing Ichigo's skin to pale.

'_I'm gonna get my ass kicked aren't I.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as he began to walk towards the underground training facility.

_**Soul Society: Squad 4 Barracks**_

"Come on Orihime you can easily do this." Rukia said encouraging her friend heal the severed arm of a squad eleven member.

"I-I don't know if I can do it 'easily' Rukia." Orihime replied sheepishly.

"Don't be silly, of course you can Orihime. You need to work on your ability to heal entire limbs in order to be as effective a healer as possible." Rukia said, trying to get her friend to have some confidence in her abilities.

"Alright." Orihime replied as she activated her healing powers, encircling the area where the limb once was with a yellow shield.

'_Incredible… she no longer has to chant the name of her power to use it… what's more she is healing the limb faster than she could before.' _Rukia thought as she observed Orihime healing the Soul Reaper's lost arm.

"Hey… girl." The Soul Reaper mumbled, getting Orihime's attention.

"Yes, what is it?" Orihime questioned as she continued to heal the man's arm.

"What's your name?" The man asked.

"My name is Orihime… Orihime Inoue. " Orihime replied.

"I want to thank you for healing my arm… I owe you a great deal and I just wanted to tell you that." The man said as his arm finished healing.

"Good as new." The man stated contentedly as he flexed the fingers to see if his arm was functioning properly.

"Great job Orihime!" Rukia complimented as the man walked away.

"It wasn't really all that special…" Orihime began before being cut off.

"Orihime you really ought to have more confidence in yourself… you've become stronger but if you're not confident in your abilities then no matter how strong you are you won't feel your of any use." Rukia lightly chided.

"Well, I can't really help it I-I've always just been weak, even if I am improving, which I can see I am… part of me will always feel… feel useless." Orihime said with a saddened expression.

"Orihime… what would Ichigo tell you if he were here right now to speak with you?" Rukia questioned, causing Orihime's saddened expression to disappear.

"He would tell me how ridiculous I'm being." Orihime stated in a serious tone.

"If you know that you're being ridiculous, then what's stopping you from gaining confidence?" Rukia asked, causing Orihime's face to harden.

"Nothing is stopping me and from this point on nothing will." Orihime declared with confidence, something that was rare for her to do.

"Good Orihime, you need confidence in yourself, and hopefully now you realize that." Rukia stated.

"How is Ichigo?" Orihime asked abruptly.

"Well I spoke to Captain Hitsugaya before he returned he said that Ichigo was fine and that there has not been another… incident… since we left." Rukia answered, cheering Orihime up a great deal.

"That's good to hear, I'm glad that Ichigo's safe." Orihime said, smiling as she said Ichigo's name.

"You really like him don't you?" Rukia questioned in a serious tone, causing Orihime to become flustered.

"I-I uh ye… I-I." Orihime rambled, only to be silenced when Rukia put her finger on her mouth.

"It's alright Orihime… you don't have to answer my question… when you're ready to talk about it we will." Rukia said slowly as she took her finger off of Orihime's mouth.

"Thank you Rukia." Orihime replied as the two walked out of the fourth division's barracks, thankful that her friend didn't press the issue.

"No problem Orihime… that particular talk will do a good deal for the both of us." Rukia stated cryptically, causing Orihime to look at her friend with a confused expression.

'_Does she… does she like Ichigo as well?' _Orihime wondered as she started at Rukia.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Alright Yoruichi… mind if I ask what you're going to be teaching me?" Ichigo questioned, curious as to what the devious cat had in store for him.

"Not at all Ichigo, as you know my specialties are in the areas of Hoho and Hakuda specifically, which you'd expect given the fact that I am the former head of the stealth force…" Yoruichi began, looking to Ichigo for a sign to continue.

Ichigo nodded giving her the sign to finish her explanation.

"Hoho is all about speed and Hakuda is all about hand to hand combat skills, both of these I intend to teach you… or at least improve your skills in each seeing as how you are already quite proficient in using flash step." Yoruichi continued.

"Any questions Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yeah just one…" Ichigo began.

"The Hakuda training, I kinda get how that works." Ichigo stated, wincing at the thought of receiving multiple punches from Yoruichi in her human form.

"But exactly how do you intend to make me faster?" Ichigo questioned, causing Yoruichi to smirk.

"I'm so glad you asked that my dead student." Yoruichi replied, making Ichigo uneasy with the tone she used.

"I have set up a serious of markers atop rock formations. You will use flash steps to travel from point to point until I say stop or until your legs give out, whichever comes first." Yoruichi stated, causing Ichigo to grow annoyed at the slow pace of the training.

"Now go to that rock formation and get started." Yoruichi ordered as she motioned her paw towards one of the rock formations.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." Ichigo grumbled as he began to walk to the rock formation.

"What will you be doing while I'm doing this?" Ichigo asked, slightly worried as to what her answer would be.

"Oh well that's an easy question to answer, I'll be taking a cat nap." Yoruichi replied in an upbeat tone.

"Are you serious?!" Ichigo shouted in mock anger.

"I could always stay awake and think of ways to torcher you if you'd rather I do that." Yoruichi stated as she sent a glare at Ichigo that chilled him to his core, despite the fact that she was in her cat form.

'_I really, really, really, really can't piss her off.' _Ichigo mentally noted as he shied away from Yoruichi's gaze.

"No you go ahead and rest Yoruichi, you look tired." Ichigo replied, fear evident in his voice.

"That's rather sweet of you Ichigo. I think I'll do just that." Yoruichi said with a smile as she hopped atop a boulder and began to sleep.

'_That is one crazy woman.' _Ichigo thought as he noticed Yoruichi's mood change.

"Alright here goes nothing." Ichigo said as he began to use flash step to move from one rock formation to the next.

'_I wonder how long I'm going to have to do this.' _Ichigo thought as he continued the training exercise.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Room**_

"Welcome my dear Espada." Aizen greeted as all of his Espada took their seats and began sipping tea.

"As you are no doubt aware due to rumors I will soon enact my latest plan in an effort to seal the fate of the Soul Society in the upcoming war." Aizen began.

"However due to the impatience of some people…" Aizen said as he shot a glance at Gin, who simply rubbed his head in embarrassment and released a nervous chuckle.

"I have decided to share the first part of my plan with you." Aizen finished.

"You are all no doubt aware of the girl Orihime Inoue and the fascinating abilities that she possesses… the first phase of this new plan is to have the girl brought here to Las Noches, either to use her power for our own cause or to at the very least keep it out of the hands of the Soul Society." Aizen stated, eliciting several nods of understanding from members of the Espada.

"Ulquiorra… once I receive word that Orihime Inoue is leaving the Soul Society you will go to her and by an means necessary you will bring her back here." Aizen said.

"Understood Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied, giving a nod of understanding as he did so.

"Lord Aizen what of the traitorous arrancar that were defeated in Karakura Town Earlier today?" Starrk questioned, surprising Aizen as Starrk rarely ever spoke up at the meeting.

"What do you mean by that Starrk?" Aizen asked, not understanding what Starrk was getting at.

"Although two of them were fairly weak the thirteenth arrancar lead them… I had heard that he was defeated by that kid Ulquiorra observed a few weeks back." Starrk clarified.

"Yes that is indeed true. Patros was defeated at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen replied.

"Is it true that he did so without the use of his Bankai?" Starrk questioned with curiosity evident in his voice.

"Again you are correct Starrk, Patros released but from what I can tell he was easily defeated by the boy." Aizen answered, causing the Espada who had not heard the rumor to widen their eyes in shock.

'_So the boy does have some skill.' _Halibel thought as she heard the rumors being confirmed.

"Surely you jest Lord Aizen, Patros may not have been an Espada but he was certainly capable of dealing with a Soul Reaper that did not use a Bankai." Szayel commented, still not believing that a Soul Reaper defeated a powerful arrancar in his released state without the use of their ultimate power.

"Sorry to disappoint you Szayel, but it does appear that the boy defeated a high ranking arrancar in his Resurreción form." Aizen replied.

"The kid can't have grown that strong, hell two weeks ago he needed Bankai to cut of Yammy's arm and still got thrashed until that… whatever it was came out." Grimmjow exclaimed.

"I have learned that he has been training with Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin for the past two weeks, which would explain how his skills have increased to the level of being able to deal with someone of Patros' caliber." Aizen replied

"The boy's ability to harness his powers has improved greatly in these past two weeks. He is very quickly proving himself to be a threat." Barragan stated, voicing his opinion on the boy.

'_Always killing with this one.' _Starrk though tiredly as he let out a sigh.

"Now why exactly would we want to do that?" Starrk questioned, not wanting to be too hasty.

"The boy is a threat and we deal with threats by removing them." Barragan replied in an annoyed tone.

"I appreciate your inputs my dear Espada, but I have already decided that the boy shall not be touched under my direct orders…" Aizen began, breaking up the small argument that had erupted throughout the meeting room.

The Espada, as well Gin and Tosen, grew confused at Aizen's orders obviously seeing that if the boy continued to grow he could become a greater threat. Even those who had not wanted to act rashly wondered why Aizen ordered this.

"Lord Aizen, why do you want to let this kid live… I for one agree with Barragan." Grimmjow stated, disliking inaction.

"I do as well Lord Aizen." Yammy piped in, still having distaste for the kid who lopped of his arm, which had yet to fully heal.

"Are you questioning my decision?" Aizen asked, his tone authoritative and full of warning.

"O-of course not milord." Grimmjow apologized, followed by Yammy. Though Grimmjow was many things, stupid he was not, and when Aizen decided to drop his smooth tone of voice that should be taken as a clear warning.

"Good… now then, Ichigo Kurosaki plays a very important role in the big picture, which will be revealed to you as my plan progresses." Aizen explained, having conveyed his position on the issue quite clearly.

"You are all dismissed." Aizen said as he left the meeting room, followed by Gin and Tosen.

"Well, well, Lord Aizen it appears that the first part of your plan is quite interesting, mind telling my exactly why you chose to go after that Orihime girl?" Gin questioned, believing that Aizen had an ulterior motive.

"Of course not Gin, Orihime Inoue has interesting powers and for the time she is an asset that we cannot allow the enemy to possess." Aizen replied.

"Why do you have to tease me with this plan of yours so much?" Gin whined as the three continued to walk down the hallway.

"Whatever do you mean Gin?" Aizen asked as he gave Gin an innocent smile, causing Tosen to chuckle.

'_I knew it!' _Gin thought as he realized Aizen was essentially doing this on purpose.

_**With Starrk and Lilynette **_

"Hey Starrk, how was the meeting?" Lilynette greeted as Starrk entered their room.

"The meeting was somewhat… eventful you could say." Starrk replied cryptically, causing Lilynette to grow confused.

"What's that supposed to mean Starrk?" Lilynette questioned curios as to what Starrk's definition of eventful was.

"Well for starters… the rumors were true…" Starrk said causing Lilynette to go wide eyed.

"So Patros really was…" Lilynette said before being cut off.

"Yes, that Soul Reaper beat Patros without the use of Bankai while Patros himself was in his Resurreción form." Starrk finished for her.

"Aizen also gave us some insight on the first phase of that rumored plan of his… he's going to have Ulquiorra bring that human girl here to Las Noches." Starrk continued.

"Why exactly does he want to do that?" Lilynette asked.

"I don't really know… he said that it has to do with her healing power being an asset to either side of the war, depending on who is in possession of her… but I don't buy it." Starrk replied, confusing Lilynette with his answer.

"You don't buy it?" Lilynette questioned, her expression showing her confusion.

"I feel as if bringing the girl here has a double purpose but I can't really tell what that is… although I guess I could just as easily be wrong." Starrk answered.

"Anything else interesting happen?" Lilynette asked.

"That Soul Reaper kid… Ichigo Kurosaki… yeah that's his name. Aizen has ordered that he not be touched, even though he's proven that he could be a threat in the future." Starrk answered.

"Why would Lord Aizen do that Starrk?" Lilynette questioned, confused as to why Aizen would allow a dangerous opponent to face them in the near future.

"He said that the kid plays a big part in his overall plan… what that is I don't know… but I've never known Lord Aizen to make foolish mistakes." Starrk replied, prompting Lilynette to nod in agreement.

_**With Halibel and her Fraccion **_

"Lady Halibel you've returned." Sung-Sun greeted.

"How was the meeting Lady Halibel?" Apacci asked, eager to hear if any of the rumors she had heard were true.

"Well firstly, that rumor you told me of did in fact turn out to be accurate." Halibel replied, causing Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun to widen their eyes in surprise.

"But that kid couldn't have taken down that powerful an arrancar in his Resurreción without Bankai, that shouldn't be possible." Apacci exclaimed, refusing to believe that what she heard was true.

"For once Apacci I agree with you, it indeed should not be possible." Mila Rose stated in agreement, equally shocked.

"So I assume that the boy is to be dealt with?" Sung-Sun questioned, expecting orders of some kind to have been given.

"No… Lord Aizen has ordered that the boy not be touched." Halibel stated, further confusing her fraccion.

"Lady Halibel, how can he order something like that?!" Apacci shouted in absolute disbelief.

"Lord Aizen said that the boy plays a crucial role in his new plan to ensure our victory over the Soul Reapers. I do not doubt his judgment and I should expect you to do the same." Halibel said with conviction.

"Yes Lady Halibel." The three fraccion replied in unison.

"Lady Halibel, did Lord Aizen say anything else?" Sung-Sun questioned, having heard a rumor that he was to reveal the first part of his new plan at the meeting.

"You really ought to stop listening to rumors Sung-Sung." Halibel chastised, knowing what she was getting at, much to Sung-Sun's embarrassment.

"But yes… Lord Aizen has given Ulquiorra orders to bring the human girl Orihime Inoue into the confines of Las Noches in order to keep her out of the enemies reach." Halibel stated.

"Once that is done we simply wait for further orders." Halibel continued, eliciting nods of understanding from her fraccion.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility **_

"Ah, what a good nap." Yoruichi chirped as she stretched her limbs, curling her tail as she did so.

"Guess I better go check on Ichigo." Yoruichi said to herself as she hopped off of her perch.

Once Yoruichi arrived she couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Ichigo face down on one of the markers, seemingly unable to move his feet.

'_I guess I probably should have said I was kidding when I told him to do it until his legs gave out.'_ Yoruichi thought as she moved towards Ichigo's body.

"Ichigo, can you move?" Yoruichi asked as she examined Ichigo's body.

"Of course I can move but you told me to go until I couldn't." Ichigo replied, causing Yoruichi to swat drop.

"Yeah about that…" Yoruichi said, as she released a nervous chuckle.

"Are you kidding me Yoruichi?!" Ichigo yelled as he got up from his immobile state, powered by pure annoyance.

"So your telling me that I was doing that training exercise for three hours straight because you forgot you had to tell me to stop?!" Ichigo shouted.

"Three hours, was it real that long?" Yoruichi asked, only succeeding in annoying Ichigo further.

"You're unbelievable!" Ichigo roared, as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Yoruichi replied happily.

'_Note to self, kill that cat.' _Ichigo thought as he attempted to restrain himself from killing Yoruichi.

"Well I guess we still have a bit of time left… you up for one last training exercise Ichigo?" Yoruichi questioned.

"On the condition that you don't nap while I'm doing it sure." Ichigo replied as he shot a glare at Yoruichi.

"Great… now go over there and start punching boulders." Yoruichi said as she motioned her paw towards a series of boulders.

"You've got to be joking…" Ichigo grumbled, not enjoying his training thus far.

"Not at all Ichigo, Hakuda is extremely important and you will need to be able to use your spiritual pressure to cover your hands in order to reduce in impacts of any blows that are sent your way… for this exercise I want you to destroy the boulders using your fists by surrounding them with your spiritual pressure." Yoruichi explained.

"And what happens if I don't get the hang of that quickly enough?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh that the beauty of it…" Yoruichi began.

"If you don't get the hang of it quickly you'll break your hands beyond repair… a good source of motivation don't you agree?" Yoruichi asked, a smirk forming on her face.

"Do you hate me or something?" Ichigo whined, earning a glare from Yoruichi.

"The first day of your training is punishment for being so sloppy during your fight with those arrancar… you nearly got yourself killed." Yoruichi stated her tone as cold as ice.

"Now I suggest that you go do as I have told you or tomorrow will be even worse." Yoruichi threatened, still not letting up on her glare.

"Yeah, yeah, sure… whatever you say Yoruichi." Ichigo replied as he performed the fastest flash step he could to move towards the boulders.

"Alright… I guess it's time to punch some rocks…" Ichigo said to himself as he concentrated his spirit energy on his fists, hoping that he was doing it correctly.

'_Please don't break my hand, please don't break my hand.' _Ichigo chanted in thought as he punched the rock, succeeding in shattering it, while keeping his hand in one piece.

'_Wow… that actually worked…' _Ichigo thought in surprise as he stared at the destroyed rock.

_**Urahara's Shop (Three Hours Later) **_

Ichigo had finished up his training and had enjoyed eating a dinner he had prepared, happy that his day in hell was wrapping up. Ichigo then walks to his room getting ready for bead, when he notices how quiet the shop actually is.

'_Why does it feel so quiet in here? Jinta isn't usually loud… unless he's arguing with Tessai. Ururu is the quietest person I've ever known, Tessai is a close second, Urahara does… something but whatever it is its not loud, and Renji doesn't really do anything. So why does it feel so quiet?' _Ichigo wondered as he listened to the absolute silence.

"Oh wait I know the mod souls…" Ichigo said to himself as he looked for the mod souls, who usually slept in the guest room with him.

"Hey, where are the mod souls?" Ichigo asked aloud, not expecting an answer.

"I can answer that Ichigo." A distinctly female voice replied from behind him.

"Yoruichi what are you…" Ichigo began as he turned around.

_**With Urahara and company (Unknown Location)**_

"Alright everyone, this looks like a good place to camp for the night." Urahara said as they came across a spot in the forest right next to a small lake.

"About time my legs are killing me… what do you even have in these things?" Renji complained as he set his backpacks down.

"Only the essentials my friend…" Urahara said as he pulled the string on one of the backpacks.

"You may want to stand back Renji." Urahara advised as he stepped away from the backpack.

"What are you…" Renji said before the backpack erupted, creating a large tent, trapping Renji under it due to his proximity to the tents creation.

"You know he's most likely going to be mad when he gets out from under there, boss." Tessai said as he noticed Renji struggle below the tent.

"Yeah… go help him out will ya Tessai?" Urahara asked, prompting Tessai to go and pull Renji out from under the tent.

"You idiot I could have suffocated under their?!" Renji yelled, a tick mark appearing on his forehead.

"I did tell you to move Renji." Urahara pointed out.

"That's not the point, warn me next time!" Renji shouted, still angry at being trapped under a tent.

"What do you think me telling you to get out of the way was, a greeting?" Urahara joked, causing Renji to mutter a series of swears under his breath, making them incoherent.

"Urahara." Chad said, getting the shopkeeper's attention.

"Yes Chad what is it?" Urahara questioned as he took his eyes of Renji's tirade.

"I don't remember seeing this backpack when we were getting ready to leave." Chad stated, confusing Urahara as he presented a relatively tiny backpack that he himself did not recognize.

"Oh well only one way to find out what it is." Urahara said nonchalantly as he opened the small backpack.

Urahara opened the backpack revealing none other than the three mod souls who bounced out, each panting due to the lack of oxygen in their choice of transport.

"Can't… breathe…" Ririn said as she caught her breath.

"My, my, what… an unpleasant… experience." Kurodo stated as he too caught his breath.

"I would be inclined to agree." Noba said, voicing his opinion on being stuffed in a backpack for the past five hours.

"What are you three doing here?" Urahara questioned, curious as to why the mod souls decided to trap themselves in a backpack just to sneak onto the trip.

"What do you mean Mr. Urahara? You were the one who wanted us to come." Ririn said, equally as confused as Urahara.

"I see…" Urahara trailed off, tapping his chin in thought.

"Now exactly who told you that I wanted to come along?" Urahara asked, believing that he knew who it was.

"Mrs. Yoruichi did of course, you asked her to silly." Ririn chirped, giggling at what she believed to be Urahara's stupidity.

"Oh… well that's just the thing guy's, I didn't tell her to tell you anything, and I didn't request that you come on this trip with us." Urahara replied.

"But then why would she tell us to come with you guys?" Ririn asked, now completely lost along with the other mod souls and everyone else that was on the trip.

"Hey Tessai, you never did tell me why you insisted that Jinta and Ururu tagged along." Urahara realized, temporarily ignoring Ririn's question.

"Yoruichi made the point that they very well could destroy the shop in our absence, so I thought it'd be best to bring them along." Tessai replied, causing Urahara to rub his chin in thought once more.

'_Well let's see… there was my not letting her transform for two weeks, the bet, and now I learn that she found a way to get rid of Jinta, Ururu, and the mod souls.' _Urahara thought as he put two and two together.

"Penny for your thoughts boss?" Tessai asked jokingly as he noticed Urahara deep in thought.

"Well you see Tessai… a week ago when Ichigo was learning how to control his Getsuga Tenshou, Yoruichi and I made a little bet. You see previously I had told her that she had to stay in cat form for the entirety of the time I trained Ichigo…" Urahara began.

"You see I knew that Yoruichi wanted to tease Ichigo, so long story short if I won she couldn't be in human form unless she was training Ichigo… but if I lost…" Urahara said, sighing before he continued.

"If I lost I would have to bring Renji, and I couldn't object if anyone else decided to show up for the trip." Urahara finished, causing Renji and Chad to grow confused.

"Now I learn that she's behind you three being here as well as Ururu and Jinta." Urahara said, confusing everyone even more.

"What are you getting at Urahara?" Renji questioned, speaking for everyone else.

"Well here's what we do know… I tortured Yoruichi by not letting her transform while I was training with Ichigo, and we know that she went out of her way to make sure that they are alone…" Urahara began.

"It appears that Yoruichi wanted some alone time with our little Ichigo." Urahara concluded, a grin spreading on his face from ear to ear as he waved his fan in front of his face.

It took a moment for everyone to absorb what Urahara had said until one by one each person had their reaction.

"Oh my." Kurodo stated as he realized what Urahara had implied.

"Wha-w-wha." Renji stuttered out before fainting, only to be caught by Chad who himself was blushing lightly.

"Was that really necessary to explain Mr. Urahara?" Noba asked, uncharacteristically blushing.

"Yes, yes it was." Urahara replied, a grin still etched on his face.

"I don't get it, what does he mean Tessai?" Jinta asked, not understanding what made everyone react the way they had.

"Nothing, it means nothing at all Jinta." Tessai replied quickly as he began to sweat bullets.

"It does mean something and I want to know what it is!" Jinta yelled. At the boy's words, Tessai glanced at Urahara for confirmation, who just simply gave the muscular man a nod of confirmation.

"Alright if you insist…" Tessai said as he leaned in to whisper something into Jinta's ear.

"WHAT!" Jinta exclaimed before fainting.

"Jinta!" Ururu cried out as she caught her friend.

"Uggg my head, what happened?" Renji asked as he rubbed his forehead in an attempt to recover from his fainting episode.

"Well I'd say that has provided enough excitement for the evening, I'm going to bed… something I doubt Ichigo will get the chance to do tonight." Urahara stated as he entered the massive tent, causing Renji to faint once more.

_**Urahara's Shop: Ichigo's room**_

"Oh wait I know, the mod souls…" Ichigo said to himself, realizing why it was so quiet.

Ichigo immediately searched the table that the mod souls usually sat at but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey… where are the mod souls?" Ichigo asked aloud, not expecting an answer.

"I can answer that Ichigo." A distinctly female voice replied from behind him.

"Yoruichi what are you…" Ichigo began as he turned around to face the door.

"Gah!" Ichigo yelled as he averted his eyes and covered them with his hands for good measure, a blush covering his face.

"Yoruichi put some clothes on!" Ichigo shouted upon seeing the dark-skinned beauty completely naked.

"Oh you have no idea how long I've waited to see that reaction of yours Ichigo." Yoruichi stated as she began to move closer to Ichigo.

"As for the mod souls, they are with Kisuke as well." Yoruichi said, answering Ichigo's previous inquiry.

"Why exactly are they with him?" Ichigo asked, still covering his eyes as Yoruichi continued to walk closer and closer to him.

"I told them to." Yoruichi replied as if the answer was obvious.

"Why would you do that Yoruichi, and why are you not wearing any clothes?!" Ichigo yelled, removing his hands from his eyes and facing Yoruichi as he did so, only to avert them once more a second later after seeing how close she was to him.

"Well to answer your first question I wanted to be alone…" Yoruichi began huskily, forming a seductive grin on her face, making Ichigo's blush deepen.

"As to why I'm naked… well, let's just say I'd like to find out whether or not Zangetsu is the only big sword you have that can hold things in for long periods of time." Yoruichi purred seductively, smileing evilly as she pressed her body up against Ichigo's.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back as Ichigo fell straight to the floor completely unconscious.

'_There is the possibility that I overdid it… nah he'll be fine.' _Yoruichi thought as she examined Ichigo's unconscious body.

"See you in the morning Ichigo." Yoruichi chirped as she pranced out of the room, content with the effectiveness of her teasing.

'_Well worth the wait…' _Yoruichi thought, smiling ever so devilishly, as she looked forward to the next two weeks.

**A/N Now that was an entertaining chapter, you also now know what Aizen will do with Orihime, yes that will be a very, very, important part of this story. It will not happen the same way, and I guarantee that you'll like it (maybe… don't like to jinx myself) Next Chapter will be posted tomorrow because I want to write it as much as you want to read it at this point so there!**

**Mexican ninja1996**: I already know that this chapter and the next are things you will love!

**Whisper**: Yes I completely agree! Though you have to admit, if I made them weak it would've been kinda boring. Though in terms of Renji, his Shikai isn't that good in dealing with heavily armored opponents, hell he even needed to use the full power of his Bankai to take down Patros. The reason behind their ranking was revealed previously but I feel as if I should explain why the other two, meaning not Patros, are in the thirties. This is mostly because of the fact that since I am ranking all the arrancar in terms of power, yes all that will appear, I decided that the low twenties was too high and high twenties didn't feel right, seeing as how Barragan's fraccon, Grimmjow's fraccion, Halibel's fraccion, Lilynette, Rudibonne, as well as Loly and Menoly still exist, so that doesn't give a lot of breathing room for power levels regarding numbers.

**Micwil13**: Here it is, hope you like it!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: This chapter filters between Yoruichi lecturing Ichigo, Yoruichi teasing Ichigo, and the explanation of what the first part of Aizen's plan is. Even if this isn't your favorite chapter, I post so often that I'm bound to get a hit sometime ^^

**darkmachines**: Thanks, tried to make the battles as Bleach-like as I could but without the moments of hesitation. As for the second part… can't say a thing about the plot, right or wrong because that's just who I am :P

**Arrankor**: Thanks, and here is more.

**Guest**: Hopefully you found this chapter funny, somewhat.

**S.R457**: Indeed he is, and thanks!

**hornet07**: I hate it when they space out in a fight, even if they need that to happen in the anime to fill time, just do so with more violence or fighting for crying out loud. Yes though, Ichigo actually trained more in swordsmanship and how to use his Shikai, which is useful because as Urahara said previously, his Bankai is something that puts to much of a strain on him. Well Yoruichi will torture Ichigo to no end at the beginning of next chapter, though certain things will happen that actually… MAY… end up starting something… OR NOT. As for the Harem, I will list it out eventually but for now it is a secret… hush, hush, business ya know?

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: I was really hoping people would like that part, in my mind it was necessary after a majority of the chapter was fighting, also a cute little moment.

**sami217**: Well given that my last update was yesterday I hope this is soon enough ^^


	10. Hidden Feelings

**A/N So here is the next chapter. I can say the next update will likely be next Tuesday… or maybe not because to be honest I may want to write the next chapter quickly and post it… which I have done like seven times already xD**

**Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter, a bit of fluff, a bit of comedy, and a bit of foreshadowing. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this

**Chapter 10**

_**Urahara's Shop: The next morning**_

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi said in an attempt to wake Ichigo, who was still in the same position on the floor he had been in the previous night.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi repeated, still getting no reaction.

"He just won't learn." Yoruichi said as she exited the room, only to return a moment later with a bucket in hand, filled with ice cold water.

'_Hopefully this will wake him up.' _Yoruichi thought as she dumped the water over Ichigo, causing him to jump up as the feeling of the cold water all over his body hit him like a rock.

"Gah!" Ichigo yelped as he jumped up, rubbing his shoulders in a desperate attempt to get warm.

"Yoruichi, why the hell did you dump cold water on me?!" Ichigo shouted in mock anger as his face began to redden due to the sudden cold feeling.

"Ichigo I swear you have the world's worst memory, I told you two weeks ago that you should wake up when I told you to." Yoruichi replied.

"Or do you not remember me doing that, if so I'd be happy to repeat for you… let me just get into cat form." Yoruichi said playfully, causing a tick mark to appear on Ichigo's forehead.

"Remember?! It took three days for the damn scratch to heal!" Ichigo yelled.

"Well it wouldn't have happened if you had just woken up when I told you too, just like I wouldn't have had to dump cold water on you today if you had just woken up." Yoruichi retorted in a nonchalant tone.

"You do realize that there are better ways to wake people up." Ichigo stated.

"Yes… but none are quite as fun." Yoruichi chirped.

'_Unbelievable… just unbelievable.' _Ichigo thought as he heard Yoruichi's response.

"Great now I'm freezing." Ichigo complained, causing Yoruichi to get a devilish idea.

"You know if you're trying to get warm I have something in mind…" Yoruichi purred, causing Ichigo's face to go crimson.

"I don't think I need to do… that… to get warm." Ichigo replied, his face becoming even redder than before.

"So that's the first thing you think when I offer a way to get warm… you little pervert." Yoruichi teased, much to Ichigo's dismay.

'_How did I not see that coming?' _Ichigo wondered angrily as he attempted to get his blush under control.

"Yeah right that's not what you were implying at all." Ichigo said, his voice heavily sarcastic, as he glared at Yoruichi.

"Alright maybe I was suggesting something…" Yoruichi began, giving Ichigo a seductive grin.

"But if you do need to get warm I'd suggest using the shower at the end of the hall." Yoruichi finished, motioning down the hall towards the shower.

"Alright I'll be out soon." Ichigo said as he headed towards the shower.

'_This gives me an idea…' _Yoruichi thought as her characteristic smirk graced her features.

_**Down the Hall**_

'_Damn that woman is infuriating.' _Ichigo thought as he pulled back the shower curtain, entering the tub.

'_At least the waters warm.' _Ichigo thought as he began feel warm again.

'_I am going to have to have a system of waking up in the future. Otherwise she may end up killing me…' _Ichigo mentally noted upon reflection of the mornings events.

"Uggg that woman is going to be the death of me." Ichigo grumbled before being interrupted by an unwanted guess.

"Thinking of me in the shower are we?" Yoruichi teased as she viewed Ichigo from the opening atop the metal rod that held the shower curtain up.

"What are you… GAH!" Ichigo screamed as he realized where Yoruichi was, subsequently after which he made to use the shower curtain to cover himself up.

Unfortunately, Ichigo tripped once he grabbed the shower's curtain, ripping it off the metal bar and bringing them down with him as he hit the floor of the tub.

'_Always the same reaction…' _Yoruichi thought as she smiled at Ichigo's response.

"What the hell Yoruichi?!" Ichigo yelled, not at all happy with his privacy being violated by the tanned skinned woman.

"You were taking too long and I wanted to see if you were okay." Yoruichi replied, an innocent look plastered on her face as she did so.

"Oh yeah I completely believe you." Ichigo said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

The Goddess of the flash simply stood at Ichigo with an amused look for several second as neither of them spoke.

"You mind getting out so I can get dressed?" Ichigo questioned, noticing that Yoruichi had still not left the bathroom.

'_Maybe I should at least humor him… for now.' _Yoruichi thought as she considered letting him off the hook.

"Alright spoil sport." Yoruichi whined, causing Ichigo to sigh in relief.

"Oh and when your finished grab something to eat and meet me in the underground training facility when you've finished." Yoruichi ordered, getting a nod from Ichigo as confirmation that he understood.

"I don't see what the big deal is…" Yoruichi began as she made to leave the room.

"The way I see it, since you've already seem me naked it's only fair." Yoruichi purred as she left the room, leaving Ichigo with a beat red face.

'_Wonder if he'll faint from that one…' _Yoruichi thought as she headed for the training facility.

'_She really is going to be the death of me… one way or another.' _Ichigo thought as he got up from his fallen position and dressed himself.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility (30 minutes later)**_

"Took you long enough Ichigo." Yoruichi said as Ichigo entered the training area.

"Oh I'm sorry. I had to wear a blindfold while eating so I wouldn't get ambushed by a naked werecat." Ichigo retorted.

"Oh stop complaining, it's not every day you get to see a hot girl's naked body Ichigo." Yoruichi teased, causing him to blush.

"You're truly evil you know that?" Ichigo replied.

"I know and I'm quite proud of it!" Yoruichi stated, forming her signature smirk.

"Okay now that the teasing is out of the way… for now…" Yoruichi began, sending Ichigo a knowing smirk.

'_Evil, evil, evil, evil, evil…' _Ichigo thought as he grasped the foreshadowing.

"I will explain your daily training routine… which luckily for you will be completely different from yesterday's punishment." Yoruichi finished, confusing Ichigo slightly.

"Wait, so you're just going to stop making me do pointless stuff… just like that?" Ichigo questioned, confusion written all over his face.

"Yesterday was punishment Ichigo, it may have done you some good in terms of training but it was more punishment than anything else." Yoruichi explained.

"However…" Yoruichi began sending Ichigo a death glare that scared him to his core.

"If you ever lose a fight that badly again or even win a fight and come out looking like you got your ass kicked… I will put you thought something twenty times worse than what you experienced yesterday." Yoruichi warned, her glare not letting up as she finished.

"Is that understood Ichigo?" Yoruichi questioned.

"O-of c-course Yoruichi." Ichigo replied, fear evident in his voice.

"Good." Yoruichi chirped, having taken on a completely different mood.

'_I better not lose a fight again… I really don't want to know what Yoruichi's definition of hell is.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as he wondered what possible punishment the former head of the Soul Society's punishment force was capable of thinking of.

"Okay Ichigo, now firstly your training will not be as… static as when you did your training with Kisuke. You will be moving around a lot… the only drawback will be that it will be the same schedule each day." Yoruichi said, before Ichigo interrupted with a question.

"So what exactly is the schedule that you've come up with?" Ichigo asked.

"Why I'm glad you asked dear student…" Yoruichi chirped before using flash step to get right behind Ichigo.

"Tag you're it." Yoruichi said as she pushed Ichigo's back, sending him flying into the ground, face first.

"What the hell Yoruichi?!" Ichigo yelled as he got up from the ground, still not liking the lack of warning he got from Yoruichi.

"Playing tag of course." Yoruichi answered, her signature smirk gracing her features.

'_Tag, flash step, and Yoruichi, why does that combination make me feel uneasy.' _Ichigo thought as he put two and two together.

"So am I to assume that this is the first thing we will be doing each day?" Ichigo questioned as he rubbed his momentarily sore jaw.

"I would've thought that to be obvious." Yoruichi replied before using flash step to disappear from sight.

"Alright then…" Ichigo said aloud as he too used flash step in an attempt to catch Yoruichi.

Ichigo began to chase Yoruichi with flash step to no avail, every time he believed himself to get remotely close Yoruichi revealed it to be a farce and she would use flash step to disappear from sight again.

After several hours of chasing, both of the two stopped, Yoruichi to taunt Ichigo, and Ichigo to catch his breath after so many consecutive hours of using flash step.

"You didn't think my title as Goddess of the Flash was just for show did you Ichigo?" Yoruichi taunted as she noticed Ichigo catching his breath.

"Never thought I could catch you Yoruichi, at least not yet." Ichigo replied, causing Yoruichi to raise an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"So exactly why have you been chasing me these past few hours?" Yoruichi asked.

"Well the way I see it, if you want to get faster it's always a good way to do so by comparing yourself with a faster person than you… and in your case I don't think anyone else is faster." Ichigo replied, causing Yoruichi to smile at his reasoning.

"My, my, a compliment from Ichigo Kurosaki now I do feel special." Yoruichi teased playfully.

"That compliment put me in such a good mood I may just slow down a little for you… but if you want me to do that… then you're going to have to call be beautiful." Yoruichi offered, her signature smirk returning to her face.

"No thanks, if you slowed down I'd only improve at a slower pace." Ichigo replied in all seriousness.

'_Always training with this one…' _Yoruichi thought as she released a sigh.

"Alright suit yourself Ichigo." Yoruichi said before the two continued their game of tag.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility (Several Hours Later)**_

"Alright Ichigo I think that's enough tag for the day." Yoruichi stated, getting a little worn out herself.

"Alright so then what's your plan for the other half of the day?" Ichigo questioned, hopeful that he wouldn't find out the hard way this time.

"Oh well I told you I was going to teach to Hakuda so…" Yoruichi began as she brought her fist up and made to punch Ichigo.

"Let's begin." Yoruichi finished as she brought her fist down on the spot where Ichigo was standing.

Ichigo used flash step to move to the air above, narrowly avoided an early demise. As he surveyed the area that Yoruichi's punch had landed he noticed the large hole that was created by the Flash Goddess' punch.

"That's your idea of training me in Hakuda, if that hit you would've killed me!" Ichigo yelled in mock anger as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"Is there any better way to learn then when you're under the threat of severe pain?" Yoruichi retorted as she jumped up at Ichigo, causing a fight to take place in the air above.

'_The only chance I have it to use the difference in our spiritual pressures to compensate for my inexperience.' _Ichigo thought as he began to use his spiritual pressure to cover his hands and forearms as he blocked Yoruichi's repeated punches.

"Not bad Ichigo, I didn't think you'd catch on to using spiritual pressure in hand to hand combat so quickly." Yoruichi complimented, not ceasing her attacks.

"Thanks, but we both know your holding back so you don't kick my ass too hard." Ichigo replied, observing that Yoruichi was only using her fists, and punching at a reduced pace from her maximum speed.

"Quite observant aren't we… well here…" Yoruichi said as she used her momentum to flip herself, landing a kick dead on Ichigo's shoulder, sending him flying into the ground.

"If you're clever enough to know when I'm not trying my best, then I don't see why I can't occasionally land a hit or two." Yoruichi teased, a smirk present on her face, as she saw Ichigo get up from the hole his body had made on contact with the ground floor.

"Uggg… my head, did I get hit by a bus or something?" Ichigo wondered aloud as he recovered from the kick that sent him reeling.

"Close Ichigo but I more or less hit you with the force of a small train." Yoruichi replied, her smirk never fading.

The rest of the training da consisted of Ichigo essentially fighting evenly with Yoruichi until she decided to send him flying with a punch or kick that knocked the wind out of him.

"Alright Ichigo, I think that will be all for today." Yoruichi said as she helped Ichigo to get up from the crater she had sent him it.

'_This is going to be a long ass two weeks.' _Ichigo thought as he walked out of the training room.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**__ (__**8 Days Later)**_

"Come on Ichigo, you'd think that after over a week of doing this every morning you'd be a bid better at it." Yoruichi taunted as Ichigo desperately tried to catch her using flash step.

"I will catch you by the end of today Yoruichi, I promise you that." Ichigo declared as he continued to chase after Yoruichi.

'_Oh he just makes this too easy… I guess this is a good opportunity to torment him.' _Yoruichi thought evilly as she heard his declaration.

"Well, well, Ichigo… care to bet on that?" Yoruichi questioned, grinning evilly.

"Depends on what I'd get if I won… and before you say anything it can't have to do with your body." Ichigo said, much to Yoruichi's dismay since she lost an opportunity to make him blush for the moment.

"Okay how about this… if you win you get that day off you griped about the day we started." Yoruichi replied, causing Ichigo to jump at the opportunity.

"Deal." Ichigo stated, only to become confused a moment later as he saw Yoruichi's signature smirk forming on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Ichigo asked in an uneasy tone.

"Oh just that you entered a bet before knowing exactly what you would have to do if you lost." Yoruichi replied, causing Ichigo's skin to pale.

'_Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap.' _Ichigo chanted in thought, grimacing at what Yoruichi had in store for him.

"Since you already accepted the bet I'd have to think about what I'd have you do when you lose…" Yoruichi began as she tapped her chin in thought.

"Got it." Yoruichi abruptly said as she snapped her fingers in realization.

"If you lose you have to go an entire day of training while wearing only your underwear." Yoruichi explained, causing Ichigo to sweat drop.

"Who knows… I might join you." Yoruichi teased.

"I-I uh n-no of course not I can't accept those terms…" Ichigo stuttered out, already aware that Yoruichi had him trapped.

"Oh but my dear student you already did…" Yoruichi corrected, her smirk increasing in size.

"To be fare I'll give you thirty minutes to catch me, if by that time you…" Yoruichi said, before Ichigo cut her off.

"Wait a minute Yoruichi I…" Ichigo began before Yoruichi cut him off.

"Begin!" Yoruichi shouted as she used flash step to run away, greatly increasing the distance between them.

"Crap." Ichigo mumbled before he too used flash step to chase after her.

'_This is going to end so badly for me it's not even funny…' _Ichigo thought, not liking his chances of winning their little bet.

"So what was that about catching me Ichigo?" Yoruichi taunted as she flash stepped circles around him.

'_The fact that she's too cocky is going to at least give me one opening.' _Ichigo thought at he anticipated where Yoruichi would try to move next.

"Gotcha!" Ichigo shouted as he grabbed what he thought was Yoruichi. Ichigo realized a second later that, instead of Yoruichi, he now held the orange shirt she wore to cover her black sleeveless stealth force uniform.

"Stealth Hoho Number 3, Utsusemi." Yoruichi said as she appeared behind Ichigo only to reappear a second later atop a nearby rock formation, leaving a flabbergasted Ichigo.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo wondered aloud, completely confused.

"That was Utsusemi Ichigo… it is a Hoho technique that allows the user to evade damage by substituting their body with an article of their own clothing." Yoruichi explained.

"Bit of a dirty trick if you ask me Yoruichi." Ichigo stated as he glared at the former commander of the stealth force.

'_I wouldn't have had to use that if he hadn't been able to nearly tag me back there… best I not goof off for the rest of our little game or he may just tag me.' _Yoruichi thought before using flash step to disappear, followed by Ichigo, who chased after her.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility, 3 minutes left in the game**_

'_Dammit Ichigo think… there's no way I can catch her if she's focused and she hasn't goofed around since she had to use that Utsusemi of hers… which means that it is possible for me to catch her…' _Ichigo thought as he attempted to come up with a plan as the game approached its climax.

'_The likelihood of her gloating or goofing off at this point is slim since she's held out for the past twenty or so minutes… that only leaves me with trying to catch her off guard.' _Ichigo reasoned in though as he continued to chase the after the Goddess of the Flash.

'_Think Ichigo, think… what could I possibly say that would absolutely stun her, or at least momentarily shock her?' _Ichigo wondered in though, before remembering one of his conversations with Yoruichi from the previous week.

'_That's it… it's a hell of a long shot but I don't really have any better ideas…' _Ichigo thought as Yoruichi began to speak.

"You do know Ichigo that you're about to lose our little bet right… I suggest that you pick up the pace if you think you can catch me." Yoruichi taunted, continuing to use flash step to evade Ichigo.

'_Here goes nothing…' _Ichigo thought as he began to enact his Hail Mary.

"How do you expect me to catch you if I can't focus?" Ichigo questioned, hoping that Yoruichi would take the bait.

"Exactly what is making you lose focus?" Yoruichi questioned, more confused than anything else.

"How do you expect me to focus when I'm in the presence of someone as gorgeous as you?" Ichigo asked, prompting the unthinkable to happen.

Yoruichi came to an abrupt stop atop a rock formation and turned back to look at Ichigo, absolutely dumbstruck at what she had just heard.

"What did you just say?" Yoruichi asked as if she hadn't heard what he had said, a light, but nearly noticeable, blush covering her checks as she did so.

"I said…" Ichigo began as he appeared in front of Yoruichi hand held straight up to her shoulder.

By the time Yoruichi had realized her error it was too late, Ichigo's long shot of a plan had worked.

"Tag, you're it." Ichigo said in triumph as he touched Yoruichi's shoulder, ending the game and subsequently winning their little bet.

'_Jeez… at least I didn't lose the bet.' _Ichigo thought as he released a sigh of relief, thankful that he didn't have to parade in his underwear for training the next day, and instead would be given a day off.

"Alright Ichigo it looks like you won." Yoruichi said in a calm tone, inwardly furious and struggling to contain her rage.

"It looks like I did didn't I." Ichigo teased, a smirk of his own now plastered on his face.

"Since you have the day off tomorrow, we're going to have to train extra hard today." Yoruichi stated, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow in confusion and drop his smirk.

"What do you mean Yorui…" Ichigo said before abruptly stopping at the feeling of being lifted up by his collar.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo wondered as he realized that Yoruichi had picked him up by the collar and began to swing him back, as if making to throw him across the training facility.

"Time for Hakuda training." Yoruichi said as she threw Ichigo so hard across the training facility that velocity rings appeared around his body.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo yelled as he was thrown through the air, only to silence upon coming into contact with a very large boulder seconds later.

Yoruichi used flash step quicker than Ichigo had ever seen her and immediately was at the now shattered boulder as Ichigo began to get up from under the rubble.

"What the hell was that for?" Ichigo questioned in a low voice as he rubbed the back of his head, only to be answered by an abrupt punch to his stomach which sent him hurling into the sky.

Ichigo was able to regain his footing in the air as he recovered from the repeated blows, only to have to defend himself a second later when Yoruichi came gunning for him, punching so hard that it pierced through Ichigo's spiritual barriers he had placed around his hands to strengthen his combat skills. The results were nasty bruises throughout both of Ichigo's forearms.

'_She's taking this a bit too seriously.' _Ichigo thought as he felt the impact of her repeated punches.

'_You little arrogant son of a…' _Yoruichi thought as she vented her anger out though repeated physical harm to Ichigo.

Using her momentum, Yoruichi preformed one of her signature moves by preforming a front flip and landing a powerful kick to Ichigo's left shoulder, sending him flying into the ground. This time however Ichigo was able to land on his feet, his shoulder badly bruised, and a small hole created by his feet landing due to the force that sent him to the ground.

"Is there something the matter with you Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked with concern evident in his voice as the Goddess of the Flash appeared several yards in front of him via flash step.

"No of course, not why would there be?" Yoruichi questioned as she once again charged Ichigo.

'_You clueless idiot…' _Yoruichi thought in anger as she continued to throw punch after punch at Ichigo who, to his credit, was doing an amazing job blocking them to reduce the damage to his body.

'_Something's off, she seems mad… could she… could she be mad that I tricked her?' _Ichigo wondered as he tried to find a reason for the evident anger behind Yoruichi's strikes, still blocking her repeated punches and kicks.

'_No she's the farthest thing from a sore loser… maybe she's mad about what I said?' _Ichigo wondered as Yoruichi dealt him a punch straight to the chest sending him flying backwards.

'_That has to be it… she's mad that I called her gorgeous? No… that can't be it… is she mad that it wasn't sincere? But why would that be?' _Ichigo reasoned, becoming ever so confused as to why what he said affected Yoruichi the way it did.

"Yoruichi, is this about what I said?" Ichigo questioned, causing Yoruichi to pull her impending punch and cease her onslaught.

"I don't know Ichigo why would what you said bother me?" Yoruichi questioned, sending Ichigo a glare that gave him the warning to choose his words carefully.

"Yoruichi, did my calling you gorgeous bother you?" Ichigo questioned his tone being deadly serious.

'_As clueless and dense as ever…' _Yoruichi thought as she let out a sight of annoyance.

"Gee Ichigo… it's not like you said it to catch me off guard or anything." Yoruichi replied with sarcasm heavy in her voice before turning her back to Ichigo.

"Yoruichi I…" Ichigo began before being cut off.

"I don't like losing very much at all, but the way that you did it was a dirty little trick Ichigo." Yoruichi stated, causing Ichigo to frown as he realized his mistake.

"Yoruichi I really am sorry, I had no idea you would react this way. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Ichigo asked in a pleading tone, causing Yoruichi to face him once again.

"Yes there is Ichigo… I just want to know one thing." Yoruichi replied.

"Sure Yoruichi, anything, I'll tell you whatever it is you want to know." Ichigo said with conviction.

"Do you actually think that I am gorgeous?" Yoruichi questioned, causing Ichigo to avert his gaze and blush.

'_I knew it…' _Yoruichi thought in triumph as she realized she had inadvertently trapped Ichigo into confessing something she had wanted to hear for quite some time.

"Yeah sure…" Ichigo replied in a quiet but audible tone, causing Yoruichi to smirk.

"What was that Ichigo? I don't think I heard you." Yoruichi teased, wanting to milk Ichigo's guilt as much as she could.

"I said yes." Ichigo said, a little louder this time.

"Open your eyes and look directly at me when you say it Ichigo." Yoruichi commanded causing the teen to open his eyes and look directly at the dark-skinned goddess before him.

"Yoruichi…" Ichigo began his tone completely serious.

"I think you are absolutely gorgeous… there happy?" Ichigo questioned before he averted his eyes once more, his blush deepening.

'_You have no idea…' _Yoruichi thought as she heard Ichigo finally admit that he believed she was gorgeous.

"Yes Ichigo, I think I'm satisfied." Yoruichi replied, a light amount of blush gracing her cheeks due to the compliment though it was unable to be seen.

"So what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Ichigo questioned.

"Well I may have… sort of… gone a little overboard when I was fighting you so I guess we can call it a day a little early so I can fix you up." Yoruichi replied as she began to walk towards the exit, followed closely by Ichigo

_**Urahara's Shop**_**: **_**Ichigo's room**_

"There we go your all patched up." Yoruichi said as she finished wrapping the bandages around Ichigo's more severe bruises.

"Took you long enough." Ichigo complained, having had to stay stationary for around an hour.

"Well I did bang you up pretty good." Yoruichi said as she rubbed the back of her head while releasing a nervous chuckle.

"Please don't remind me… and to think if I had just told you I did think you were gorgeous after the game of tag maybe you wouldn't have kicked my ass…or at least not as severely." Ichigo joked, being slightly serious at the same time.

"Maybe…" Yoruichi trailed off as she exited the room, leaving Ichigo to rest.

"Oh and Ichigo…" Yoruichi began, bringing Ichigo's attention to her as she turned to face him from her position by the door.

"Thank you." Yoruichi said, giving Ichigo a genuine smile before leaving.

"Anytime Yoruichi, anytime…" Ichigo said to himself, allowing himself a genuine smile of his own.

_**Urahara's Shop: Common Area**__**(The Next Day)**_

"Good morning Ichigo." Yoruichi chirped as Ichigo entered the common area after finishing breakfast.

"Good morning Yoruichi." Ichigo greeted.

"Well today is your day off so what exactly do you want to do?" Yoruichi asked.

"Well to be honest I really don't know…" Ichigo began as he tapped his chin in thought.

"When I won the bet I was really more focused on me not having to train in my underwear today." Ichigo stated.

'_I may have a suggestion… wonder how he'll react.' _Yoruichi thought as she began to smirk.

"I have a suggestion Ichigo." Yoruichi said, getting Ichigo's attention.

"What is it Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked, curious as to what the Goddess of the Flash had in mind.

"There is a hot spring in the training facility that has water capable of mending wounds, and since you're slightly injured due to yesterday…" Yoruichi said, coughing lightly as she finished.

"So I figured that it would be a good idea… what do you think?" Yoruichi asked, expecting Ichigo to spaz out at the mention of a hot spring.

"Sure that sounds like a great idea Yoruichi I can't believe I didn't think of that… wait when did you guys get a hot springs in the training grounds?" Ichigo asked, completely oblivious to what Yoruichi wanted him to remember.

"Oh, you really didn't know we had one?" Yoruichi questioned with a raised brow.

"No this is the first I've heard of it." Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone.

'_So he's forgotten… oh well guess I'll just have to remind him.' _Yoruichi thought as her signature smirk formed on her lips.

"Something wrong Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked, having noticed the smirk.

"Oh nothing Ichigo, nothing at all… the hot spring is in the training area is located at the space that directly behind the entrance to the training facility." Yoruichi replied.

"I'll meet you there. Just go once you're ready." Yoruichi said as she left the room.

'_Yoruichi… hot spring… why do I have such a terrible feeling about this?' _Ichigo wondered in confusion, but decided to shrug it off.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility: Hot Springs (30 Minutes Later) **_

'_I can't believe that I didn't notice this was here before.' _Ichigo thought as he walked into the hot springs soothing waters.

"Ahhhh." Ichigo let out a contented moan as the warm water began relaxing his muscles, helping ease the pain from the bruises he received the day before.

"Room for one more?" Yoruichi asked as she swam up to Ichigo's side, going completely undetected until she spoke.

"Sure Yoru..." Ichigo began as he turned to face Yoruichi.

"GAH!" Ichigo screamed as he began to cover his eyes, splashing sporadically as he did so.

"I would've thought you'd remember something like the hot springs Ichigo… to be honest I'm a little disappointed." Yoruichi pouted.

'_Wait a minute… hot springs… dammit how did I forget that?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief, thinking that that would be something he'd remember.

"Come on Ichigo, don't you want to see how gorgeous I really am?" Yoruichi teased, her signature smirk gracing her lips.

"I-I uh y-you I-I." Ichigo rambled as his blush darkened.

'_This is just too much fun.' _Yoruichi thought as she decided to continue with her teasing.

"You weren't lying were you?" Yoruichi pouted.

"No of course not." Ichigo immediately replied.

"Then why don't you want to look at my body Ichigo, don't you think it's nice?" Yoruichi pouted, expecting Ichigo to become flustered again.

"Of course I do but just please cover up!" Ichigo yelled, causing Yoruichi to noticeably blush as she covered her breasts.

'_He… he really does like my body… I mean I always figured since he's a guy but to hear it from him… that was unexpected.' _Yoruichi thought as she absorbed what Ichigo had just said.

"Thank you, was that so hard?" Ichigo grumbled as he looked away from Yoruichi.

"Ichigo… do you really like my body?" Yoruichi questioned, her blush not fading.

"Of course I do. Why would you…" Ichigo began before stopping himself as he realized what he has just said.

'_I'm gonna pay for saying that aren't I…' _Ichigo thought as he just sat there in the hot springs, Yoruichi doing the exact same thing as she too absorbed what Ichigo had just said.

'_Wait is that a blush on her face?' _Ichigo wondered as he came out of his dazed state of mind.

"Are you blushing Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked confusedly, deciding to voice his thoughts.

"N-no of course not." Yoruichi replied, mentally cursing herself for stuttering.

"Did you just stutter?" Ichigo asked, even more confused at the sight of a frazzled Yoruichi.

Yoruichi made no response and turned her back to Ichigo in an attempt to hide her increasing blush, which proved to be ineffective.

"I think that's enough new information for today…" Yoruichi began, breaking the awkward silence.

"I um… I'm gonna go." Ichigo said as he got up to leave, before being stopped by Yoruichi who grabbed his wrist, successfully stopping him in his tracks though she was still able to cover herself with her other arm.

"Ichigo I hope you know that I don't… I don't really mind that you think my body is attractive." Yoruichi said as she stared into Ichigo's eyes, a serious look evident in her own.

"Yoruichi I…" Ichigo began before Yoruichi silenced him by placing a finger on his lips.

"You don't have to say anything Ichigo I just wanted you to know that." Yoruichi said, eliciting a nod of understanding from Ichigo, who then opted to leave the hot springs.

_**Urahara's Shop: Above Ground (Several Hours Later)**_

"Well that trip to the hot springs was interesting." Yoruichi chirped as she entered the room and landed on the couch in front of the TV.

She was currently wearing an orange tank top and black sweat pants with her hair hung down instead of in its usual ponytail fashion.

"I guess you could say that." Ichigo said as he too sat down on the couch.

After the incident at the hot springs, Ichigo had decided to change into a short sleeved white shirt and dark blue sweatpants, deciding to relax for the day, even if he was still in soul form.

"We still have a good bit of time to kill, care to watch a movie?" Yoruichi asked.

"Sure, what kind of movies do you have in this place anyway?" Ichigo questioned, curious as to how much of a selection he had to choose form.

"Well we have horror, romance, action, and comedy movies so I would suggest picking two of the categories and we'll pick a movie from each." Yoruichi replied.

"How about action and comedy I really don't feel like…" Ichigo began before noticing the death glare Yoruichi was giving him.

'_I guess she had something else in mind…' _Ichigo thought as he released a nervous chuckle before continuing.

"What I meant to say was action and romance…" Ichigo said, still getting a glare from Yoruichi.

"I mean horror and romance?" Ichigo asked more so than said, prompting Yoruichi to smile at him.

"Why Ichigo, how did you know those were the two I wanted to watch?" Yoruichi questioned in an upbeat tone, causing Ichigo to sweat drop.

"Just a lucky guess…" Ichigo replied nervously as Yoruichi put the DVD of a horror movie in the player.

Yoruichi came back the couch and sat right to Ichigo's side, gripping him tightly in an embrace, much to Ichigo's confusion.

"Uhh… Yoruichi, what are you doing?" Ichigo questioned, becoming flustered at Yoruichi's touch.

"I get scared when I watch horror movies. It helps if I'm holding something." Yoruichi replied in the most innocent voice imaginable.

"How are you scared? You fight hollows for crying out loud!" Ichigo practically shouted, not believing her excuse.

"Please Ichigo." Yoruichi said, putting on a begging face that only she could make.

"Oh alright." Ichigo replied, giving into Yoruichi's request.

"Thank you so much Ichigo." Yoruichi thanked as she tightened her grip on Ichigo.

"Don't mention it now shhhh, the movies starting." Ichigo replied as the movie began.

"Eeeeeep!" Yoruichi screamed as she tightened her grip on Ichigo, knocking the wind out of him.

"Yoruichi what the hell?!" Ichigo yelled as he recovered from having the air knocked out of his lungs.

"I got scared." Yoruichi replied in an innocent voice, causing a tick mark to appear on Ichigo's forehead.

'_This is going to be a long Movie.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as the movie went on.

_**Two Hours Hater…**_

"Wow that movie was scary." Yoruichi commented, causing a tick mark to appear on Ichigo's forehead.

"Yeah, yeah, sure… just put the next one in." Ichigo said through gritted teeth.

"Yay! Time to watch Titanic!" Yoruichi chirped as she put the next DVD in.

"Ugggg." Ichigo grunted, not wanting to watch that movie for the five hundredth time.

Yoruichi went back to the couch after she put the DVD in the player and immediately snuggled up to Ichigo, resting her head on his left shoulder and lightly brushing her purple hair against his cheek.

"What are you doing now?" Ichigo questioned with a raised brow, no longer flustered by her close proximity.

'_What she is doing is pretty obvious but I still can't believe she's actually doing this to me.' _Ichigo thought in disbelief, though he kept a stern expression.

"There aren't any pillows on this couch and your shoulders comfortable… problem?" Yoruichi asked, knowing full well that Ichigo now understood what she was doing.

Silence passed between the two for a minute or so as Ichigo gave some thought into what he wanted to say to Yoruichi.

"No… I have no problems with what you're doing whatsoever." Ichigo finally answered.

"Good." Yoruichi replied as she returned her head to its resting place on his left shoulder, releasing a genuine smile as she did so.

Ichigo abruptly grabbed Yoruichi's hand which had been on his left leg since she had sat down, causing Yoruichi to grow surprised.

"Ichigo what are you…" Yoruichi began to ask before being cut off.

"Holding your hand… problem?" Ichigo questioned with a genuine smile as he looked down at Yoruichi, whose head was barely above his shoulder.

"No… no problem at all." Yoruichi replied as she slightly tightened her grip on Ichigo's hand, which was now intertwined with hers.

_**Several Hours Later…**_

'_Looks like she fell asleep during the movie.' _Ichigo thought as he looked at his left shoulder to find a sleeping Yoruichi.

'_I guess I should take her to her room.' _Ichigo thought as he carefully maneuvered out of Yoruichi's hold and picked her up bridal style, hoping not to wake her.

'_If this is a dream I don't want to wake up.' _Yoruichi thought as she felt herself being carried up the stairs by Ichigo.

Ichigo walked up the stairs to Yoruichi's room, laying her down on the bed carefully, so as not to wake her from her apparent sleep.

Just as Ichigo released Yoruichi from his grasp, he felt a pair of hands grab his neck and pull him down into the bed, where he was held down, unable to get up.

Ichigo blushed madly as he realized that Yoruichi had pulled him down into the bed with her and was now cuddling up to his body. The goddess was currently resting her head on his chest, with her hand placed on his stomach and her legs intertwined with his.

"Yoruichi what are you…" Ichigo began to ask before being cut off.

"Just stay…" Yoruichi whispered, causing Ichigo to gasp.

"Please just stay here… Ichigo." Yoruichi whispered once more, causing Ichigo to smile at the dark-skinned woman who had so elegantly pulled him into her bed.

"Good night Yoruichi." Ichigo said before he planted a kiss on Yoruichi's forehead, prompting Yoruichi to smile at the gesture, though Ichigo could not see it.

"Good night… Ichigo." Yoruichi said as she snuggled closer to Ichigo before falling into a deep sleep.

'_This has certainly been an interesting day.' _Ichigo thought as he smiled down at Yoruichi before allowing sleep to take him.

_**Throne Room of Las Noches **_

The doors to the throne room of Las Noches open as Ulquiorra steps forward, answering the call of his master.

"Ah Ulquiorra, you have my thanks for answering my summons so quickly." Aizen greeted as Ulquiorra moved straight in front of the throne.

"What is it you would ask of my Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked as he bowed to his lord.

"Those orders I gave you around a week ago, you recall what they were correct?" Aizen asked, getting a nod as a response.

"Good… I want you to carry them out now. It appears that Orihime Inoue will be leaving the Soul Society and returning to the world of the living shortly… best you be there to greet her." Aizen stated as he allowed himself an evil smile, looking forward at what was to come.

"It will be done Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied before leaving the throne room.

"My, my, Lord Aizen, are you quite sure there's no ulterior motive for bringing the girl here to Las Noches?" Gin asked as he revealed himself to be hiding behind a pillar in the throne room.

"Whatever could you be implying Gin?" Aizen questioned, his smile not wavering.

"With the way you're smirking I could only guess…" Gin replied, as his own grin increased in size.

"You will find out what my plan is in a short time Gin… simply be patient for the time being." Aizen said, much to Gin's dismay.

"Well… at least this should be interesting." Gin commented, trying to convince himself that this plan would be worth the wait.

"Oh that much I can promise you Gin." Aizen stated, only fueling Gin's curiosity.

'_I swear he does this on purpose.' _Gin thought as he exited the throne room.

**A/N That wraps up this chapter, next time the actual direction of the story becomes more apparent. Hope this chapter wasn't too bad but feel free to let me know what you thought about it. **

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Well not entirely screwed, but he nearly was… had he lost that bet I guarantee he'd have been put through hell… but things worked out for the better… but then again I wrote it xD

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks! I was going for funny especially at the end… just a moment of 'wow this would work' ^^

**Mexican ninja1996**: Glad you liked it, and now you no longer have to wait, for this chapter I mean ^^

**darkmachines**: Thank you for your input! I acutely like Barragan's fraccion a bit as well, though I am not a fan of Barragan due to the whole, arrogant dick complex he's got going on. Ggio and Po are actually really high up there in the rankings though I won't be revealing their numbers for some time since they don't have a colossal presence for a good bit of the story. In regards to your offer, thanks I actually like that character a lot, but since I finished outlining this story, I started on another one, and I may want to use your character in that story, but I won't be requesting it until this one is finished.

**S.R.457**: Close but no dice, cold water is not a good wakeup call xD

**Arrankor**: Thanks, and I agree! One aspect of Bleach that always annoyed me was they have moments where some characters look untouchable, then the next moment they just stop using any of their abilities whatsoever… so in my fic I intend to have fights in which the characters don't space out and remember what they can actually do.

**Unstoppable150**: Thanks! Just for your general information, Orihime won't fall in love with Ulquiorra or Aizen xD… but I haven't really decided where I want her to land in this story. It's quite difficult given what happens but you'll find out why in a few chapter… maybe someone dies *DUHDUHDUH*… but no that doesn't happen. ^^

**VOGoshiniki**: Glad to see you like the story, but for Momo I have decided that I may pair her up with Hitsugaya, just because of… well you'll see as the story nears the end. I may even give her a Bankai given the fact that I want to have her fight a few people in the future.

**Malakai Voidgazer**: Cool name man! Thanks for the support and glad you like the story, hope this chapter was okay as well.


	11. Kidnapped!

**A/N Well here is a quick chapter before I update on Tuesday, this chapter will reveal a major cannon event but I basically change in completely as it goes on, but you'll see what I mean later, or maybe even as you finish the chapter. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own beach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 11**

_**Soul Society: Entrance to the Dangai**_

Several Soul Reaper Captains and Lieutenants gather as Orihime prepares to leave the Soul Society, having trained tirelessly with her abilities for nearly a month.

"Before I leave I'd just like to thank you all for welcoming me to the Soul Society this past month and even more so for helping me to become stronger." Orihime said, as she gave a slight bow to the Soul Reapers present.

"Don't mention it Orihime, your improvement is very noticeable and that is all that matters." Ukitake said with a smile.

"Indeed… I would like to personally thank you for healing many wounded Soul Reapers in my division. You have developed a reputation as somewhat of a lifesaver in that regard." Captain Unohana stated, also with a smile on her face.

"Rukia, I'd like to thank you personally for helping me get confidence in my abilities… I now have nothing holding me back from helping out in the upcoming war." Orihime said as she walked up to Rukia.

"Glad to help you Orihime. The fact that you now have the confidence you so desperately needed is all the reward I'll ever need for helping you." Rukia replied, smiling at Orihime.

"Also don't forget that when you're ready… we can have that talk." Rukia added, eliciting a nod from Orihime but confusing those who heard her speak.

"When I'm ready we'll do just that." Orihime replied.

"Excuse me Orihime, but I do believe that the Dangai has been prepared for your departure." Ukitake interrupted, being the first to shrug off his confusion. At this the escort team stood at the ready, preparing to ensure the girls safe travels to Karakura Town.

"Right, thank you all again… I'll see you soon." Orihime said as she waved goodbye to the Soul Reapers who were seeing her off.

"Goodbye Orihime, say hi to Ichigo for me." Rukia said as she returned Orihime's gesture.

"Actually, that goes double for me Orihime.' Ukitake said as he two waved goodbye to the girl.

"Alright I'll tell Ichigo you said hello when I see him next." Orihime said right before entering the Dangai with her Soul Reaper entourage.

"I just hope that girl knows what she's getting herself into… war isn't exactly a child's game." Kyoraku said, breaking his silence.

"That's just it Shunsui… all we can do is hope she is ready." Ukitake solemnly replied.

_**Inside the Dangai **_

"Mrs. Inoue, we are approaching the end of the Dangai and are about to enter the world of the living." One of the Soul Reaper's accompanying Orihime stated as the group entered the end of the Dangai.

"You guys didn't really have to come with me you know." Orihime said sheepishly, not feeling that she needed to be guarded while she walked through the Dangai.

"Don't be silly Miss. It is a tradition for honored guests of the Soul Society to be accompanied by a guard upon their departure." One of the Soul Reapers explained as the group continued to walk.

The group neared the end of the Dangai, but no sooner than the air of Karakura Town became noticeable a large black hole appeared before them, causing Orihime to gasp and the Soul Reapers to move into their battle stances. As the Garganta opened, a small humanoid arrancar could be seen exiting, successfully blocking the path to the world of the living.

"You are Orihime Inoue correct?" Ulquiorra questioned as he stared directly at the human girl with red hair and no Soul Reaper uniform.

"Yes that is me, what is it that you want?" Orihime asked, hopeful that it was not a fight.

The Soul Reaper escort team was far less naïve and readied themselves to secure the girl's safety by any means possible.

"You are to come with me." Ulquiorra began, causing Orihime to frown.

"Your presence has been requested in Las Noches by Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra continued.

'_What could Aizen want with me?' _Orihime wondered as she absorbed what the arrancar has said.

"Like hell we'd allow you to take her!" One of the Soul Reapers yelled, giving the others confirmation to draw their blades.

"No don't!" Orihime screamed, but she was too late. No sooner than the Soul Reapers drew their blades the buzz of sonido filled the air, immediately after which the arrancar appeared behind the Soul Reapers, blade raised to his side and bloodied as they fell lifelessly to the floor of the precipice world.

"The ineptitude of the Soul Society never ceases to amaze me." Ulquiorra stated as he flicked his blade to his side in order to expel the blood from his blade.

"You didn't have to kill them." Orihime said, sickened by the deaths of her protectors.

"Just as they did not have to draw their blades, in the end their stupidity warranted my actions." Ulquiorra replied, his voice devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

"I won't come with you." Orihime sternly declared, her voice completely of fear and full of conviction.

'_Not quite what I would have expected._' Ulquiorra thought, recalling the girl's lack of resolve from their previous encounter. Although slightly surprised by this, the green eyed Espada made no indication of showing it as he maintained an emotionless demeanor.

"From your response it would seem that you are not afraid of me…" Ulquiorra began.

"You saw how easily I disposed of these Soul Reaper pieces of trash, do you honestly believe that you will fare better?" Ulquiorra questioned in a slightly amused tone.

"I never said I could defeat you." Orihime replied, still no fear evident in her voice.

"Interesting…you know you cannot defeat me and yet you do not appear afraid." Ulquiorra said, more to himself than to the girl.

"Regardless, you are to come with me and I won't tolerate any resistance on your end. My mission was quite clear and you are to be brought before Lord Aizen immediately." Ulquiorra continued, leaving no room for argument.

"And if I refuse?" Orihime more stated than asked.

"Let me make something very clear… simply because Lord Aizen has requested your presence does not mean that I am forbidden from causing you pain…" Ulquiorra began, causing Orihime to wince slightly at his choice of words and the cold manner in which they were delivered.

"I may not be able to harm you physically, but if you refuse to come with me then I shall have no choice but to hunt down and kill all those close to you whom you consider friends." Ulquiorra explained.

'_Ichigo…' _Orihime thought as she hung her head in defeat, realizing that the arrancar had successfully trapped her. She may not be afraid for herself, but involving those she held dear was something she would never allow.

"You see now that resisting if useless." Ulquiorra said, getting a slow nod as a response from the redheaded human.

"May… may I just heal the Soul Reapers you killed?" Orihime asked with a heavy heart.

"No, you may not." Ulquiorra replied, his voice as emotionless as ever, causing Orihime to gasp.

"Heartless." Orihime mumbled, just loud enough for Ulquiorra to hear.

"Heartless… what an interesting insult." Ulquiorra thought aloud as he opened up a Garganta with a simple flick of his wrist.

"Come, you are expected." Ulquiorra ordered once he turned to face the girl once more.

"Very well." Orihime replied before she and Ulquiorra began to walk through the Garganta into Las Noches.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room**_

"Lord Aizen, if I may ask… why is it that you have chosen to call us to the throne room?" Szayel questioned, ever the curious observer.

"More importantly, why have you requested that we bring our fraccion?" Grimmjow questioned, annoyed that he had to play babysitter to his supposed servants.

"I have arranged for a little demonstration, courtesy of our upcoming guest." Aizen replied, causing confusion to grow amongst the arrancar present.

"And who is this honored guest Lord Aizen?" Starrk asked, deciding to speak for the arrancar present.

"Oh well she should be arriving shortly… ah here she is now." Aizen said as the doors to the throne room opened revealing Ulquiorra and Orihime.

'_It's that human girl.' _All the arrancar present though similarly.

"I have returned Lord Aizen… the mission was a success." Ulquiorra stated as he and Orihime began to walk towards the throne and the large group of arrancar below it.

"Very good Ulquiorra… after this little demonstration is over I will give you further orders. Until then I would ask that you simply watch." Aizen said, allowing himself a genuine smile of content at his plan beginning to take shape.

"Do you know why you are here Orihime Inoue?" Aizen asked, noticing the girl's discomfort.

"No I do not." Orihime replied as she shook her head.

"Your powers have indeed fascinated me since I first realized that you possessed them… even now I am not quite sure how it works." Aizen complimented.

"However, for all your powers interesting characteristics in cannot be overlooked that your abilities make you quite an annoyance in the coming war." Aizen continued.

'_Is that what this is all about?' _Orihime wondered as Aizen continued to speak.

"Therefore I cannot allow your abilities to be used against me… this is why you are here. Your powers now belong to me." Aizen explained, causing Orihime to grow saddened.

"However I am not a cruel man by nature. I will not force you to harm any of your friends, nor will I force you to fight in my army." Aizen added, slightly relieving Orihime.

"I see." Orihime replied, just above a whisper.

"I have gathered the arrancar here in order for them to see a demonstration of your powers in person. Would this be acceptable to you?" Aizen requested in a smooth calming tone, his characteristic smile never fading.

'_I have no choice… if I want my friends to be alright then I have to comply.' _Orihime reasoned in thought before nodding her head in response to Aizen's request.

"Splendid, Yammy…" Aizen began getting the attention of the large arrancar.

"Yes Lord Aizen?" Yammy asked as he moved front and center.

"That arm of yours… it hasn't been able to heal fully correct?" Aizen questioned, causing Yammy to grow irritated at the mentioning of his arm's removal.

"Yeah that damn Soul Reaper lopped it off." Yammy grumbled, obviously trying not to throw a tantrum.

"Very well…" Aizen began as he unsheathed his zanpakuto, holding it out for everyone to see.

"Now Yammy… this will be rather painful." Aizen said before using flash step to appear in front of Yammy, immediately severing his bad arm from his body.

"Graaaaaaaaaa!" Yammy cried out as he clenched his fresh wound.

'_What the hell is he doing?' _All the arrancar wondered similarly, not wanting to question Aizen's actions out loud.

"Now Orihime, if you would be so kind as to heal Yammy's arm." Aizen said as he swiped his sword to rid it of Yammy's blood.

"Yes." Orihime replied as her hair pins exited her hair and began to form a golden barrier around Yammy's wound.

The arm began to regenerate within seconds, fully finishing within the next minute.

'_Her healing abilities seem to have improved while she was in the Soul Society… it would appear that she was training quite feverously.' _Aizen reasoned in thought as he observed the speed with which Orihime had healed Yammy's arm.

"Good as new." Yammy said as he flexed the new limb, making sure that he was at a hundred percent.

"Your healing abilities really are quite marvelous Orihime." Aizen complimented as he walked up to the girl.

"Thank you." Orihime replied in a sad tone, something that did not go unnoticed by Aizen.

"You are clearly upset that I have brought you here, that is perfectly understandable… but know that I will do everything I can to make you as comfortable as possible during your stay." Aizen in a voice as smooth as honey, almost making Orihime believe him.

'_If only that were true…' _Orihime thought as Aizen's empty promise sunk in.

"Now, all of you are dismissed with the exception of Ulquiorra who is needed to receive further orders." Aizen stated, prompting all arrancar present to begin to leave.

"Oh Starrk, would you be so kind as to take our honored guest to her room?" Aizen requested, causing the Primera to inwardly release a tired sigh.

"Sure thing." Starrk replied lazily as he put his hand on the girl.

"What are you…" Orihime said before the characteristic sound of sonido filled the air and with it, she along with Starrk had vanished from sight.

"What would you have me do Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked as the rest of the arrancar left the room.

"The girl Orihime Inoue is rather close to a certain orange haired Soul Reaper I believe you are familiar with…" Aizen began, causing Ulquiorra to grow slightly confused.

"He is currently in the world of the living at the shop of Kisuke Urahara. I want you to go there and give him a little message." Aizen explained, his characteristic smile morphing into an evil smirk.

"What message would that be Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra questioned, slightly intrigued as to what the second step of Aizen's plan was.

"I want you to tell him…" Aizen said as he began to give Ulquiorra the message to relay.

_**Urahara's Shop: Yoruichi's room**_

Ichigo awoke from a one of the best nights of sleep he could remember, staring down at the woman who had pulled him into her bed the previous night.

Ichigo looked down on the sleeping form of Yoruichi, who had not moved from her position the entire night, her head still resting on Ichigo's chest. Upon her face was a smile that made her look like the happiest woman in the world.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi whispered tiredly as she nuzzled further into his chest, making Ichigo smile at her unconscious gesture.

'_Better I let her sleep than wake her up.' _Ichigo thought as he got out of bed quietly, slipping out of her grip bit by bit so as to not wake Yoruichi.

"I should probably leave a note telling her where I will be when she wakes up." Ichigo mumbled, thinking out loud.

"Well there's some paper…" Ichigo trailed off as he noticed the paper on the dresser and began to search for something to write with.

"Pen, pen, pen, need a pen." Ichigo chanted in a low voice as he searched for a pen.

"Aha!" Ichigo said in triumph only to slap a hand on his mouth a second later, having realized that his voice was too loud.

His vision immediately shifted back to the bed he had recently exited, to see if his voice had stirred the sleeping were-cat.

'_Phew can't believe I almost woke her.' _Ichigo thought as he sighed in relief upon noticing Ichigo was still asleep.

"Oh Ichigo…" Yoruichi moaned out in her sleep as she rolled over on the bed, making Ichigo sweat drop.

'_What kind of a dream is she having?' _Ichigo wondered only to regret that decision a moment later as a blush appeared on his face.

'_Block the mental image, block the mental image.' _Ichigo chanted in thought as he tried to get his blush to subside.

"Okay, now what to write…" Ichigo whispered as he began to write the note.

'_Hey Yoruichi, I'll be downstairs eating breakfast and after that I'll be in the training facility, so when you wake up come and find me… I think we need to… talk… after last night.' _Ichigo thought as he wrote word for word of what he thought on the note.

'_Hope that dream of hers doesn't give her any ideas…' _Ichigo silently hoped as he placed the note on the covers of the bed, setting it besides Yoruichi.

_**Urahara's Shop: Kitchen **_

'_I still have trouble believing exactly what happened last night.' _Ichigo thought as he prepared his breakfast, recalling the events of the previous night.

'_Literally one day she's teasing me… then the next she pulls me into bed.' _Ichigo thought as he reviewed the drastic change in his relationship with Yoruichi. One thing was certain, the Goddess of the Flash wanted some form of a relationship with him, that much he was certain, but what kind of relationship that was, he hadn't the slightest clue.

'_I still can't tell what it is she wants from me… I guess I'll find out later today.' _Ichigo reasoned in thought as he finished his breakfast before down to the training facility after having put his plate away.

"I guess I can just practice punching rocks or something until Yoruichi wakes up…" Ichigo thought out loud before the makings of a Garganta began to appear right in the middle of the training room, something that instantly caught the attention of the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"A Garganta… here?" Ichigo exclaimed as pulled the clothed Zangetsu off of his back and entered his battle stance, prepared to fight whatever it was that came out of it.

The black abyss opened, revealing a human looking arrancar, short in stature but with incredible spiritual pressure and a mask that covered the upper left side of his head, marked by the single horn that protruded out of it.

"You." Ichigo exclaimed in shock as he realized that he recognized the arrancar coming out of the Garganta.

"Ulquiorra." Ichigo said, having recalled what the giant arrancar had called him during their battle.

_**Las Noches: Orihime's room**_

"Alright, here we are." Starrk said lazily as he and Orihime arrived at the door to her room after coming out of Starrk's sonido.

"If you need anything just ask the arrancar that will be checking up on you… to my knowledge Aizen has tasked Ulquiorra with looking after you." Starrk continued, noticing the saddened look on the girls face as she looked outside the barred window at the eternal moon that covered the sky of Hueco Mundo.

'_Dammit, why did I have to be the one to take her hear?' _Starrk complained in thought, not wanting to be the one to deal with the girl's obvious dislike of being here.

"Listen… I'd rather have not been the one to do this, and for what it's worth I am sorry that you are here." Starrk said, trying to comfort the saddened girl in some form.

"You don't need to apologize to me… I'm not upset that I'm here actually." Orihime replied, causing Starrk to widen his eyes in surprise for a moment before speaking once more.

"What did you just say?" Starrk exclaimed out of absolute surprise.

"I'm not upset that I'm here." Orihime repeated.

'_This human girl… taken against her will and she says that she's not upset she's here…and yet the look in her eyes… the conviction in her voice… she can't be lying.' _Starrk thought as he checked for any signs that the girl may be misleading him, for whatever reason.

"Mind if I ask why you're upset at the moment?" Starrk asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"For one I realize that I may not ever be able to see my friends again, regardless of how this turns out… I realize that Aizen may not kill all of them, or he may be defeated… but either way I'm not likely to see them again as either I will die or they will." Orihime began, causing Starrk to grow saddened himself due to the truth of her words.

"Because I won't get to see them again…" Orihime trailed off, shaking her head as she gathered her thoughts.

"Above all else I'm saddened because of what I didn't get to say…" Orihime began, causing Starrk to grow even more confused at the reasons for the girl's apparent sadness.

"I trained for the past month in the Soul Society so I could be of use in the upcoming war… even though now I realize that I won't be participating unless it's against my friends, but now that I'm here…" Orihime continued.

"…now that I'm here, I won't be able to tell someone I know something I've wanted to say for quite some time now… and it's just now I realize that I may never get the chance." Orihime explained as tears began falling from her eyes, though her voice showed no change whatsoever.

'_What is it that this girl could have possibly wanted to say?' _Starrk wondered before becoming slightly uncomfortable upon noticing the tears that fell from the girl's eyes.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts… your change of clothes is in the dresser." Starrk said while motioning to the dresser before using sonido to leave the room.

'_Ichigo…' _Orihime thought sadly as she stared at the eternal moon in the sky above Hueco Mundo.

_** Las Noches: Throne Room**_

"Well, well, Lord Aizen that was quite the stunt you pulled back there. Was there really a need to lop off Yammy's arm just so that girl could heal it?" Gin asked, being curious as to why Aizen would do such a thing in front of the other arrancar.

"Yammy's arm was simply not able to recover completely, therefore cutting it off and having Orihime heal it was the best possible solution." Aizen replied, not completely quelling Gin's curiosity.

"Well it stands to reason that you could have just had another arrancar do it, or Kaname, or myself… but you chose to do it personally…" Gin trailed off as if hinting at something.

"What are you getting at Gin?" Aizen questioned, giving Gin an amused smile.

"Just curious as to why you personally decided to sever the arm of a subordinate, a bit beneath you isn't it milord?" Gin joked, hoping to get more information on Aizen's plan.

"The reasoning behind everything that has transpired will be revealed in due time Gin… but as I've had to tell you many times these past few weeks, be patient." Aizen replied, causing Gin's eye to twitch.

"Of course Lord Aizen… excuse me for a moment." Gin said before walking out of the throne room and closing the door.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Gin screamed, sending a blast of sound throughout the confines of Las Noches.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room**_

"Did you guys hear that?" Apacci asked to no one in particular, having heard the scream loud and clear.

"Yes I did, it sounded like a scream." Sung-Sun replied as she along with the other members of Halibel's fraccion began to look around at the walls of the room, seemingly looking for any kind of faults in the wall.

_**La Noches: Starrk's Room**_

"What the hell was that?" Starrk exclaimed in a lazy tone, having woken up upon hearing the loud scream.

"Iunno." Lilynette replied through a shrug.

'_Whatever…'_ Starrk thought as he let out a tired sigh and went back to taking a nap.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room**_

"Feel better Gin?" Aizen asked with an amused look on his face as Gin opened the doors and walked back into the throne room.

"Actually yes." Gin replied in a cheerful tone.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Ulquiorra…" Ichigo said as the arrancar stepped out of the Garganta.

'_Dammit, this guy is stronger than the one I fought in the park… I can't use Bankai or else… he might come out. I can't let that happen… but how the hell am I supposed to beat him if I can't use Bankai.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought as he tried to think up a plan for the predicted encounter.

"Interesting… I don't recall telling you my name." Ulquiorra though aloud upon hearing Ichigo address him by his actual name instead of the predicted designation of 'hollow' or 'arrancar'.

"I remember the big guy calling you by your name when I fought him." Ichigo replied, prompting Ulquiorra to nod in understanding.

"Oh? Was that before or after you became a hollow?" Ulquiorra questioned, causing small amounts of sweat to appear on Ichigo's face at the mention of his hollow, which at the moment was an increasing worry.

"Don't change the subject, why are you here?" Ichigo asked, raising his voice as he did so.

"I am here to relay a message to you from Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied, surprising the orange-haired substitute.

'_Aizen…' _Ichigo thought with wide eyes at Aizen's name being mentioned.

"I am here to convey the information that Orihime Inoue has been taken and brought to Las Noches." Ulquiorra stated, causing Ichigo to grow even more shocked.

"I don't believe you!" Ichigo shouted in defiance.

"How predictable, very well…" Ulquiorra began as he reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a hairclip.

'_What?' _Ichigo thought in absolute disbelief as he that the hairclip belonged to Orihime.

"Surely you must know that this is evidence enough that she has either been taken or killed." Ulquiorra stated, enraging Ichigo in the process.

"You should feel privileged. After all you are the first being outside of Las Noches to know of this." Ulquiorra continued as Ichigo only became more and more aggravated.

"Bastard!" Ichigo yelled as he charged Ulquiorra with blinding speeds, powered by pure rage.

Ulquiorra brought his own zanpakuto out of its sheath to defend, causing sparks to fly in the air as the two blades met one with one another.

"Your speed has improved since we last met." Ulquiorra commented as the two continued to lock their blades in a stalemate.

"Shut up!" Ichigo roared before his blade began to surge with blue spirit energy, drastically increasing the power of his zanpakuto's blade.

'_The power of his strike is increasing drastically.' _Ulquiorra thought with wide eyes as he felt himself being pushed back and his sword beginning to buckle under the pressure.

"Gya!" Ichigo grunted as he ended the stalemate by pushing Ulquiorra back with the sheer strength of his swords swipe. The green eyed Espada wasn't one to be pushed back so easily however and made an attempt to quickly regain his footing but to no avail.

"This ends now!" Ichigo roared as he brought his sword up above his head, flaring the spiritual pressure in his sword as a sign that the power was increasing even further.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo yelled as he released the power of his blade towards Ulquiorra, who was still trying to regain his footing after Ichigo pushed him back.

'_What?' _Ulquiorra thought in disbelief, having never seen an attack so devastating and precise from a Soul Reapers before. The feel and concentration of the blast reminded him of a cero, though obviously of a different form.

The attack tore through the ground, strong, precise, intense, all the things that made the attack so destructive combined, sent straight at the green-eyed arrancar.

As the attack connected a massive explosion could be seen, sending dust and debris from the attack everywhere.

'_That should've at least wounded him.' _Ichigo thought as he recovered from releasing the most powerful attack he could muster in his Shikai.

'_Dammit I spent too much energy when I used Getsuga Tenshou… hopefully it at least bought me time.' _Ichigo silently hoped as he stabbed Zangetsu into the ground in order to support himself.

"Are you quite done?" Ulquiorra questioned as he walked towards Ichigo from behind him.

"What?" Ichigo exclaimed as he gazed upon the unharmed arrancar.

"From the look you are giving me it appears that you though me wounded… well had I not gotten out of the attacks path I very well could have been gravely injured." Ulquiorra explained as he walked closer to Ichigo.

'_How can he have dodged it? I was sure my timing was perfect.' _Ichigo thought as he took note that the clothes of the hollow were not even remotely damaged.

"Since it would appear that you are no longer capable of fighting at full strength, I suggest you listen to what it is I have to say." Ulquiorra stated, though he was met with Ichigo's glare, a clear contrast to his blade which had been his method of communicating his rage moments ago.

"Orihime Inoue is indeed in Las Noches, she is alive and in perfect health so I would advise that you not worry about her wellbeing for the moment… Lord Aizen finds her powers useful in the aspects of healing, not offense, and is therefore not a direct threat…" Ulquiorra began.

"You on the other hand are a very interesting case and have proven to be somewhat of a threat to Lord Aizen's plans… therefore I have come here with instructions for you to follow should you wish to see your friend again… alive that is." Ulquiorra explained, causing Ichigo's glare to intensify.

"Just what the hell are you getting at?!" Ichigo yelled, not wanting the arrancar to beat around the bush.

"I have come with an offer from Lord Aizen… he seeks an audience with you in Las Noches." Ulquiorra stated, causing Ichigo to go wide eyed.

"What the hell does Aizen want from me?" Ichigo asked, as if wondering aloud.

"Should you choose to go you will find out." Ulquiorra replied, himself not knowing the answer to his question, though his intuition gave him a semblance of a clue.

"What do you mean if I choose to go?" Ichigo questioned with a raised brow.

"I mean exactly what I said… should you choose to go to Las Noches and speak with Lord Aizen then you will find out… but if on the other hand you refuse to go…" Ulquiorra began.

"Then your precious friend Orihime will be killed." Ulquiorra said, causing Ichigo to grow enraged once more and pick up his sword.

"You bas…" Ichigo began before being cut off.

"If you're aware that Orihime is in our possession, and you are aware that we are capable of killing her, why would you even bother trying to kill me?" Ulquiorra questioned, knocking Ichigo out of his senseless rage.

'_Dammit, that bastard's got a point. For Orihime's sake I can't attack him.' _Ichigo thought in anger as he placed Zangetsu on his back, once more wrapping the massive sword in its usual cloth.

"You will be given twenty four hours to think on your decision." Ulquiorra stated.

"Exactly how is it that I am to enter Las Noches?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Ulquiorra to reach into his pocket and pull out a bracelet-like object.

"What the hell is that?" Ichigo asked upon seeing the curious looking object the arrancar had pulled out of his pocket.

"Before I answer your question, I need to mention a series of rules that you must follow regardless of your decision, unless you desire for the girl to die sooner rather than later." Ulquiorra began, getting a nod as a response telling him to continue.

"Firstly you are to wear this." Ulquiorra said as he threw the bracelet-like object to Ichigo, who caught it with his right hand.

"That device will conceal your spiritual pressure so that no one will be able to detect you, not even the arrancar. The reason for this device is because you are not allowed to speak to anyone within this twenty four hour period or the girl dies." Ulquiorra explained, causing Ichigo to go wide eyed as he realized something he had forgotten about since Ulquiorra showed up.

'_Yoruichi… what am I going to do about her…' _Ichigo wondered, having realized that he wouldn't be able to talk to Yoruichi for twenty four hours regardless of what he did.

'_I can't let Orihime die just because I was selfish… I'm sorry… Yoruichi.' _Ichigo thought sadly as he put the bracelet on.

"Good… now to answer your first question, a Garganta will open in Karakura Town Park upon your entering the area, which will be opened by the device I just gave you. It will stay open for no more than a minute after which it will close and the device will disappear, meaning that you have one chance. The Garganta will take you to Hueco Mundo where you will find your way into Las Noches." Ulquiorra explained before opening up a Garganta and preparing to leave.

"Oh… and it's rather important that I mention you have a period of three days upon entering Hueco Mundo to reach Las Noches, otherwise the girl will die." Ulquiorra added in an impassive manner before walking towards the Garganta.

"I would advise you to choose wisely, Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra said as the Garganta closed, leaving behind an emotionally torn Ichigo.

"Dammit!" Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs as he fell to his knees, clenching the ground with is hands.

'_I have to get out of here… if I can't allow others to see me I have to find somewhere that I can think about what I should do.' _Ichigo thought as recovered from his momentary despair.

'_This isn't something I can take lightly… I just hope I end up making the right decision.' _Ichigo silently prayed as he exited the shop.

'_Maybe I should just head to the forest… I doubt anyone will see me there.' _Ichigo reasoned in thought upon finding himself on the streets outside the shop.

_**Urahara's Shop: Yoruichi's Room**_

"Oh man what a good night's sleep." Yoruichi chirped as she stretched her limbs, releasing a yawn as she did so.

"Wonder where Ichigo is… man I can't believe last night happened." Yoruichi said happily, a bluish coming onto her face as she remembered her body nuzzled into Ichigo's as the two slept the night away.

"Maybe he's downstairs in the kitchen." Yoruichi thought aloud as she got out of bed.

Yoruichi headed down the stairs, unaware of the piece of paper that had fallen to the floor as she got up from bed, leaving the note unread and unnoticed.

"Oh Ichigo…" Yoruichi purred as she entered the kitchen, expecting Ichigo to be there.

'_Not here…' _Yoruichi thought as she left the kitchen and began to search for Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" Yoruichi shouted as she continued to check the rooms of the shop, but to no avail.

"Where could he be…" Yoruichi wondered out loud as she tapped her chin in thought.

"He didn't… he didn't run away because of last night… did he?" Yoruichi grimaced, coming to the worst possible conclusion in her mind.

"No Ichigo wouldn't do that… there's no way he'd do that." Yoruichi said, trying to convince herself that her pervious assumption was dead wrong.

"I mean it's possible…" Yoruichi began to say before shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts.

"No, when I find Ichigo… I'll know for myself what he thought of last night." Yoruichi stated with conviction as she exited the shop in search of Ichigo.

_**Forests of Karakura Town**_

'_Alright I'm here.' _Ichigo thought as he arrived at the forest where he would consider his options for the next twenty four hours.

Ichigo went up to ta rock that was situated at the center of a large grove of trees and began to sit crisscross in a meditative fashion, closing his eyes before he began to contemplate his decision.

'_It's painfully obvious that they have kidnapped Orihime… she'd rather die than part with her hairbands and she would never be so careless as to let them fall into someone else's hands.' _Ichigo reasoned in thought as he went over what he knew to be true.

'_Since I know that I have two possible decisions. One, I don't go to Hueco Mundo, I don't talk to Aizen, and Orihime dies… not exactly the best outcome ever. Two, I could go to Hueco Mundo, make it to Las Noches, and see what Aizen wants with me.' _Ichigo thought as he went over his options.

'_The only problem with option two is that even if I do everything I've been asked there's no guarantee that Aizen will allow Orihime to live, what's more I don't know if he'll even allow either of us to leave… this has 'trap' written all over it.' _Ichigo thought as he speculated the possible outcome.

'_Even given that this is likely a trap, if I don't decide to charge into it then Orihime dies, something I can't allow to happen.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to reflect on his decision.

'_As sad as it seems the best option for me seems to be to spring the trap.' _Ichigo thought before letting out a sight of frustration, realizing what he would have to do.

**A/N Well… you basically know what Ichigo is going to do, something that Yoruichi is not going to be happy about. So Ichigo will be soloing Hueco Mundo thins time around. What will happen? Will it be interesting? Will Yoruichi kill Ichigo for doing it when she finds out? These are questions that I myself wish I had the answers to :P**

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Well… for the most part I agree. However, the reasons Yoruichi teases Ichigo so… noticeably I guess would be the right word… is mostly because she likes the reaction and because he is a "prude" and won't act on anything. In fact… I'm pretty sure that the only character Yoruichi appears naked in front of is Ichigo (Canon of course, not filler episodes). So if she… likes… Ichigo, then revealing herself to him after he admits something like what he did, would, in my mind, cause that kind of reaction. Overall though it may have been slightly OOC, but I have a rant prepared for anyone who actually says that "Yoruichi is "experienced" in dating and romance and 'stuff', so she wouldn't get flustered." However, I will save it for when I tell you that she is… well you'll find out ^^

**TheFuteristicEnigma**: Well thank you! Always nice to get short, sweet reviews like this about my story, I'll do my best to make it good.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, and in response to you second review, cant really say that now an I? ^^

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks! Personally I dislike stories that just try to be "Oh yeah they are in love" on like the first chapter, well not 'dislike' because they can be quite good, but in the circumstance of like a Yoruichi and Ichigo, despite the fact that most people would be like "I could see that… maybe" it still needs a push so I try to illustrate that, hope I did a good job.

**the DragonBard**: Very true, and if I don't end up putting her in the harem, she won't be paired up with anyone else.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, I try. Also see Antex's review response if you want to see more on your comment.

**BleachFan21**: Again I try ^^, also I try to be slightly funny sometimes with this story, hopefully everyone enjoys it, and in general thanks!

**Guest(1)**: Cool idea, but the watch will be revealed in due time, the role is important, but the watch itself isn't really all that important.

**sami117**: Well… as I have said before I will not be releasing who I have set up for the harem until I get there. Will their be arrancar? Maybe. Will Yoruichi be in it? Won't tell :P, but the update speed should clear up any curiosity… hopefully.

**Guest(2)**: Well it was fun while it lasted… but is it over?

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks, I am personally surprised that my first fic, ever actually, has gotten so much attention, almost 10000 views at this point and it's been only a little over two weeks. I will do my best to update quickly and keep the story good.

**S.R.457**: Well… in general yes, but I may as well tell you to keep it less smutty it will not be like colossal or anything like that, I will try to make this story serious, but at times it may be hard. Thanks for another 10/10 btw, always makes me feel good!

**yoruichifan**: Thanks, but for now Yoruichi and Ichigo are, well… on hold for the moment.


	12. Onward To Las Noches

**A/N Well, here is the next chapter, hope you all like it! If you have any questions about what it is I will be doing from this point, I will answer them but I can guarantee I won't be able to give anything away xD**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 12**

_**Karakura Town Park: Several Hours Later**_

'_I know what I have to do.' _Ichigo thought as he stared down the Garganta that began to tear open in the middle of the park.

"Well here goes nothing." Ichigo said before jumping into the Garganta, which slammed shut immediately afterwards, causing the device on Ichigo's wrist to disappear with it.

_**Inside the Garganta**_

"Huh… never really expected that the Garganta would be like this." Ichigo thought aloud as he walked through the Garganta towards the image of Hueco Mundo, which seemed to be just a few yards away.

_**Skies above the Dunes of Hueco Mundo**_

"Well that was eas…" Ichigo began as he exited the Garganta, only to fall through the air no sooner than he stepped out.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo screamed as he fell from the sky, landing in the dunes of Hueco Mundo.

"Dammit, couldn't they have made it a Garganta to the ground." Ichigo complained as he rubbed his lower back.

"Alright I guess I should try to find Las Noches." Ichigo mused as he got up and dusted himself off.

'_That was easier than I thought…' _Ichigo thought as he looked around to see a massive white fortress off in the distance.

'_That thing is either really close and huge, or it's even larger than I thought and I'm still far off.' _Ichigo thought as he began walking towards Las Noches, only to be distracted a moment later by something off in the distance.

"Wait what the hell is that?" Ichigo exclaimed as he saw a torrent of dust in a constant forward motion off in the distance.

"Oh well guess I'd better check it out." Ichigo reasoned before using flash step to move towards the anomaly.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" A childlike arrancar screamed as she ran from the moving could of dust.

The apparent child was being chased by thee hollows. The first was small, had purple skin, and a white hollow bug-like mask.

The second was slightly larger and had an enormous hollow mask with large yellow eyes. His body was covered with polka dots, which adorned his clothing.

The third was a large snake like hollow, which was by far the biggest of the three and clearly the source of the dust cloud.

'_Is that a human kid?' _Ichigo wondered as he watched the hollows chase what appeared to be a human child wearing a brown robe complete with a hood that covered its face. To top it all off the child was crying as if frightened, albeit understandably.

'_Guess I should save her.' _Ichigo thought before using flash step to appear directly in front of the hollows that were chasing the child.

As soon as Ichigo appeared in front of the group he immediately punched the bug like hollow, sending him flying to the ground. After this was done he grabbed the hilt of his still clothed Zanpakuto before swinging it at the remaining two hollows that were chasing the girl, effectively sending them flying just as he had the bug like hollow.

"Stop that! Leave them alone!" The hooded child cried as she saw her friends being attacked.

"Wha?" Ichigo exclaimed as he turned to see the child he thought to be in danger.

"What did we ever do to you, stop picking on us will ya? Why don't you just leave us alone?" The child cried out as she took of her hood to reveal a small childlike female arrancar, complete with a fractured skill hollow mask that was placed atop her head.

'_A mask… then is she a hollow?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw the skull mask on the child's head.

"Can you please leave us alone? We're really sorry mister." The child said in a pleading voice.

"We never thought our game of eternal tag would cause such a misunderstanding, I promise that it'll never happen again." The child said with a smile, confusing Ichigo beyond belief.

"Wait… you actually play a game called eternal tag?" Ichigo asked with a deadpanned expression.

"Well, there's not really much else that we can do here in Hueco Mundo for fun it can get pretty boring." The arrancar replied as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"But then… why were you crying while you were running away from them?" Ichigo asked, still not getting why she did so.

"Sure, Nel is a masochist and it's no fun for Nel unless Nel is chased to the point where Nel starts to cry." The childlike arrancar chirped.

"Why are you teaching this kid words like masochist?!" Ichigo shouted as he hit the polka dot covered hollow upside the head.

"So what exactly is your name kid?" Ichigo asked.

"My name is Nel and Nel's full name is Nel Tu." Nel replied with the innocence of a child.

"Wait, so are you an arrancar?" Ichigo asked still not getting how a child could possibly be an arrancar.

"Yup, Nel is an arrancar, and these are Nel's brothers." Nel chirped as she motioned to the hollows sitting to her right and left.

"I'm Nel's older brother, Pesche." The bug like arrancar stated.

"And I'm Nel's older brother Dondochakka." The polka dot covered hollow said.

'_Wait, did she just say brothers?' _Ichigo wondered as he heard Nel address the other two hollows as her brothers.

"And this right here is our pet and his name is Bawabawa." Nel said with a smile as she motioned to the large snake like arrancar above her.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Ichigo said, confused at the whole concept of arrancar that could have siblings and pets.

"You have a question?" Nel chirped.

"Since when have arrancar ever had siblings and pets?" Ichigo asked with a deadpanned expression.

"What are you talking about mister, arrancar have always had those." Nel replied in a defensive manner.

"So how exactly did you three meet?" Ichigo questioned, still skeptical.

"When I met Nel she was just so adorable that I decided to become her big brother you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka answered.

"Same goes for me." Pesche piped in, causing Nel to sheepishly put her hand on the back of her head and release a nervous small nervous laugh.

"So… that means you three aren't really siblings at all." Ichigo deadpanned, causing Pesche and Dondochakka to panic.

'_What the hell are they doing?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw their change in demeanors.

"But… if these guys are not Nel's siblings then what are they then?" Nel asked with a darkened expression as Pesche and Dondochakka continued to panic.

"Not her siblings what are you talkin about?" Dondochakka asked, still panicking.

"No way!" Nel screamed.

"I mean sure…. uh… I don't know what I'm talking about. You guys could definitely be siblings." Ichigo replied as he sweat dropped.

'_These three sure are strange for arrancar.' _Ichigo thought as he observed the odd behavior of Nel and her alleged siblings.

"You guys a quite strange, are you sure you're really arrancar?" Ichigo questioned, causing Nel to get defensive.

"What do you mean mister, can't you see this here?" Nel asked as she tilted her head forward and pointed to the skull mask atop her head.

"See, a beautifully crafted arrancar mask." Nel stated, still pointing to her mask.

'_It looks cracked to me but I guess I'll leave it be.' _Ichigo thought as he stared at the mask.

"It's just that… well you three are a lot different than the arrancar I've seen in the world of the living." Ichigo stated.

"Well of course we are silly, the arrancar that you probably saw in the world of the living are called Numeros." Nel replied, causing Ichigo to grow confused.

"What is a Numeros?" Ichigo asked, having only been told about the Espada and the ranking system of the arrancar.

"Numeros are the hollows that are even stronger than the Menos Grande before they turned into arrancar. The Numeros can be identified by a two digit number that shows their rank, the higher the number the weaker the Numeros and the lower the number the stronger the Numeros, and they serve directly under the Espada." Nel explained.

"Numeros are combat experts… there's no comparison between them and weak arrancar like us." Nel said sadly.

'_Well at least I know more about the rankings of the arrancar.' _Ichigo thought as he absorbed what Nel had told him.

"You've got some nerve mister, saying that we don't look like arrancar when you look even less like an arrancar than we do." Nel said as she pointed at Ichigo, a smile still etched on her face.

"Wha?" Ichigo exclaimed, not believing that the child thought he was an arrancar.

"You don't have a mask and you're wearing a black kimono. You're dressed more like a…" Nel trailed off.

"A Soul Reaper you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka said, finishing Nel's sentence.

"Exactly!" Nel chirped agreeing with Dondochakka's description.

"Yeah, he really does look like a Soul Reaper." Pesche piped in, immediately before the three grimaced at their collective realization.

"W-what are you anyway mister?" Nel questioned, her expression now one of fear.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soul Reaper." Ichigo replied, causing Nel and her brothers to run around in circles, crying as they did so.

'_Not good, not good, not good.' _Nel chanted in thought as she continued her panicking.

"A Soul Reaper!" Nel cried out, deathly afraid.

"What are we gonna do?" Dondochakka cried out.

"That means that you're the bad buy!" Nel shouted as she pointed an accusing finger at Ichigo.

'_I'm a what now?' _Ichigo thought as he heard Nel call him of all people the bad guy.

"How could you possibly have no idea at all as to who I really was?" Ichigo deadpanned, not believing that any creature in Hueco Mundo wouldn't be able to recognize a Soul Reaper.

"Well how do you expect us to know who you are if you don't tell us?" Pesche retorted.

"This is terrible, Nel is sure that the bad guy is gonna kill us!" Nel screeched in terror.

"No… I'm not going to kill you." Ichigo stated in a tired tone, laced with a hint of annoyance.

'_How can arrancar this… odd… even exist?' _Ichigo wondered as the arrancar formed a huddle and began to whisper so that Ichigo could not hear them.

"The bad buy says that he's not going to kill us but Nel needs to find a way to see if he's telling the truth." Nel stated as the arrancar entered their huddle.

"How do you think we should do that Nel?" Pesche asked.

"Nel has an idea, follow Nel's lead." Nel ordered, getting a nod from both Pesche and Dondochakka in response.

"Hey mister Soul Reaper." Nel shouted, getting Ichigo's attention.

"Yes what is it?" Ichigo asked.

"If you're not a bad guy then play with us?" Nel said as she entered a jumping stance.

"Huh?" Ichigo exclaimed as he heard what Nel said.

"Let's start." Nel shouted as she jumped into the air, landing on Ichigo's shoulder.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo thought as Nel grabbed the hilt of Zangetsu and jumped off his shoulder, subsequently after which she landed on the ground behind the confused Soul Reaper.

"Come on, it's a game of eternal tag!" Nel shouted, causing a tick mark to appear on Ichigo's forehead.

"Hey get back here!" Ichigo yelled as he began to chase after Nel.

"Let's go!" Pesche said as he made to join the game of eternal tag.

"Right behind ya!" Dondochakka shouted before he too joined the game of eternal tag, followed by Bawabawa.

"Hahahahahaha." Nel laughed out, tears flowing in her eyes, as she continued to run from Ichigo.

"Bwa." Nel grunted out as she tripped over a branch and fell over, rendering her unable to run any further.

The child hit the ground, which turned out to be a significant issue due to the fact that the other two arrancar alongside Bawabawa were currently trucking through the sand behind her and Ichigo with no intention of stopping.

'_Dammit I guess I should do something… I certainly can't let her get squashed by those other three.' _Ichigo thought as he noticed Nel trip.

Ichigo grabbed Nel and used flash step to evade the parade of stampeding hollows that followed him, effectively saving Nel from being crushed, and leaving the other three in a crumpled up pile.

"Hey are you alright?" Ichigo asked as he put Nel safely down on the sands of the desert.

'_He saved me…' _Nel thought as she stared at the Soul Reaper who had saved her from being squashed.

"Nel?" Ichigo said, bringing her out of her daze.

"Nel can't believe you saved her." Nel said in a quiet voice, her big eyes showing her disbelief and evident relief.

"Of course I did. I could let you get squashed under that giant arrancar now could I?" Ichigo said as he brushed the dust off Nel's clothes.

"You okay, are you hurt at all?" Ichigo asked in a smooth tone, comforting Nel slightly.

"Uhhh, uhhh." Nel cooed as she just stared at Ichigo, seemingly unable to speak for the moment.

"N-Nel is fine." Nel replied in a quiet voice, still in awe that this Soul Reaper saved her.

"Well I've got to get going… stay out of trouble Nel." Ichigo said before he began to walk away.

"Wait mister!" Nel shouted, causing Ichigo to turn around to face her once more.

"Yeah what is it Nel?" Ichigo asked, noticing that Nel was on the verge of crying as his eyes settled on the arrancar.

"Why are you leaving mister?" Nel asked.

"I have to get to Las Noches in three days, and for now let's just leave it at that." Ichigo replied as he started to walk away again.

"Nel knows that you'll never make it to Las Noches on foot in three days it's just too far a walk!" Nel shouted, once again causing Ichigo to turn around.

"Nel can give you a ride to Las Noches and Nel guarantees that you will make it to Las Noches in three days." Nel said between sobs.

'_Well I guess it couldn't hurt.' _Ichigo mused in thought as he walked up to Nel in order to calm her down.

"Alright Nel, but how do you suppose you can get me to Las Noches?" Ichigo questioned while smiling at Nel, causing her to cease her sobbing and smile herself.

"Nel will take you on Bawabawa mister Soul Reaper." Nel chirped, happy that she would get to spend more time with Ichigo.

"You can call me Ichigo, Nel." Ichigo said as he shook his head in amusement.

"Itsygo." Nel said, trying to get his name right.

"Ichigo." Ichigo corrected.

"Itsugo." Nel said, still trying to pronounce his name correctly.

"Ichi… you know what Itsygo is fine just don't call me Itsugo," Ichigo stated, giving up on getting the child to say his name properly.

"Okay Ichigo!" Nel chirped as she jumped for joy, making Ichigo's eyebrow twitch.

"You just said my name right!" Ichigo yelled in mock anger, knowing that Nel was likely messing with him.

"Nel doesn't know what Itsygo is talking about." Nel replied with an innocent look that caused Ichigo's annoyance to subside.

'_This is going to be a long trip…' _Ichigo thought as he wondered what the rest of the trip would be like.

"Pesche, Dondochakka, were giving Itsygo a ride to Las Noches on Bawabawa." Nel stated as she ran over to her brothers, who were still buried under Bawabawa where the group of hollows had crashed into one another on the ground.

'_Is she serious about this?' _Pesche and Dondochakka wondered as Nel ran over to them.

"We-we're really going to give a ride to this Soul Reaper?" Pesche asked, unsure of Nel's decision.

"Yeah, that guy could be dangerous you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka piped in, equally as uneasy as Pesche on the matter.

"Itsygo won't hurt Nel or Nel's brothers and Itsygo needs Nel's help so we're going." Nel stated in a tone of finality as she climbed onto Bawabawa's back.

"Good enough for me, let's go Pesche!" Dondochakka shouted before he began to climb atop Bawabawa.

"Come on Itsygo, hop on Bawabawa." Nel said as she motioned for Ichigo to climb aboard the snake like arrancar.

"Alright Nel I'm coming." Ichigo replied before he used flash step to appear next to Nel on Bawabawa's back.

"Alright Bawabawa we need to get to Las Noches and fast so step on it!" Nel ordered, prompting the large arrancar to begin to tear through the sands on a path to Las Noches.

_**Karakura Town**_

'_Where the hell could Ichigo possibly be?' _Yoruichi wondered as she continued to search through Karakura town as fast as she was able.

'_The fact that I can't sense his spiritual pressure is not good, especially with how bad he is at restraining it.' _Yoruichi thought as she continued to flash step from building to building.

The Goddess of the Flash abruptly stopped for the umpteenth time to look around a spot where she believed Ichigo could be, shifting her eyes and searching a crowd of people for the orange haired Soul Reaper.

'_I've been searching all day for him and I haven't found a trace of him.' _Yoruichi thought as she observed the town square from a rooftop.

"Could I have really pushed Ichigo away with what I did?" Yoruichi wondered aloud.

"The only reason that I can think he would leave the shop so abruptly was that he is avoiding me." Yoruichi said, growing saddened at the conclusion she had been fighting to disprove all day.

'_I've checked the park, his house, the entire town… there's nothing left to check.' _Yoruichi thought as she went over the places that she had surveyed during the day.

"Oh well, I guess it's time to head home." Yoruichi said to herself before releasing a sad sigh.

_**Urahara's Shop: Yoruichi's Room **_

"The more I think about it, I can't believe that he would do something like this." Yoruichi said in disbelief as she entered her room via the window on the side of the shop.

"I mean I know he didn't leave in the middle of the night." Yoruichi said, blushing slightly at the memory of herself being so tightly entangled with Ichigo as they slept.

"I also never thought Ichigo wouldn't have the guts to face me if he really didn't want anything more to happen." Yoruichi thought aloud, a saddened expression appearing at the depressing thought.

'_Am I not good enough for him?' _Yoruichi wondered as she jumped into her bed, sprawling out her limbs as she did so.

'_I really thought that he was interested after yesterday…' _Yoruichi sadly thought as she ceased her stretching and sat on the edge of the bed's side. All of a sudden a mild warmth began to slowly trickle down her cheek, something that confused her for a moment.

'_Am I… am I actually crying?' _Yoruichi wondered in disbelief as she felt water drip down her face.

"Look at me… the former head of the Stealth Force and once Soul Reaper captain crying over a boy like some love-struck teenage girl." Yoruichi scolded herself, at the same time being unable to stop the miniscule stream of tears that were traveling down her cheeks.

'_I haven't cried in decades, even if I admit I'm hurt about what happened with Ichigo I'm still surprised that it affected me to this extent.' _Yoruichi thought as she whipped the tears from her eyes. While Yoruichi did so she tilted her head down, noticing a piece of paper that was lying on the floor.

"A note?" Yoruichi wondered out loud as she picked up the piece of paper.

"It's from Ichigo…" Yoruichi trailed off as she opened the note, recognizing Ichigo's handwriting.

"Hey Yoruichi, I'll be downstairs eating breakfast and after that I'll be in the training facility, so when you wake up come and find me… I think we need to… talk… after last night." Yoruichi said, reading the note out loud word for word.

'_How could I have not checked down there?' _Yoruichi wondered as she face palmed herself.

'_Plus the training facility masks spiritual pressure which would be the only reason why I couldn't sense him above ground.' _Yoruichi reasoned in thought.

'_I just hope he's actually down there.' _Yoruichi thought as she zoomed towards the training grounds.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

"Ichigo." Yoruichi shouted as she entered the training area.

"Ichigo." Yoruichi shouted once more.

'_I still can't feel his spiritual pressure that means that he isn't down here.' _Yoruichi thought as she realized that Ichigo was indeed nowhere to be found.

"Ichigo wouldn't have told me that he wanted to talk if he wasn't serious… and he wouldn't tell me that he'd be down here if he wasn't going to be." Yoruichi thought aloud.

"If he's not down here and he's not anywhere in Karakura… the only thing I can think of is that something bad has happened." Yoruichi grimaced, realizing that Ichigo was in fact likely in some kind of danger.

'_Wherever you are… please… please just come back to me alive Ichigo.' _Yoruichi silently prayed as she felt tears once again forming in her eyes though she refused to allow them to fall.

_**Sand Dunes of Hueco Mundo**_

"Itsygo." Nel said, getting Ichigo's attention which had been elsewhere prior.

"Yes Nel what is it?" Ichigo asked, showing off a slight smile as he did so.

"Why are you going to Las Noches?" Nel asked, still not getting why a Soul Reaper would have to go to Las Noches.

"Well… I uh… I guess you could say that I'm going there to visit a friend." Ichigo replied, not entirely sure how to explain his situation to a child.

"Wha? How can Itsygo be friends with a hollow when Itsygo is a Soul Reaper?" Nel asked in disbelief.

"Well, firstly of course a Soul Reaper can be friends with a hollow if they are docile enough… I mean I would consider myself to be your friend Nel." Ichigo replied, causing Nel to gasp at the thought of actually being a friend to a Soul Reaper.

'_Itsygo is Nel's… friend.' _Nel thought in a dazed state.

"Does Itsygo really mean that?" Nel asked, her tone full of hope that the answer would be yes.

"Of course I do Nel, don't ask such silly questions." Ichigo answered in a soft tone, reassuring the childlike arrancar that he was indeed being honest.

"However, I am not going to visit a hollow in Las Noches." Ichigo added, wanting to clear up the obvious confusion.

"The person I'm going to… visit… is a human girl, not a hollow and not a Soul Reaper." Ichigo explained, quelling Nel's confusion before realizing the implications of what Ichigo had said.

'_Human… girl…' _Nel thought as she glared at Ichigo.

"Something the matter Nel?" Ichigo asked, noticing that Nel was giving him a death glare.

"Nel wants to know what this girl's relationship is with Itsygo." Nel replied, making it seem more like a demand.

"Well I-I… you see… ummm." Ichigo rambled trying to find the words to explain his relationship with Orihime, only to be interrupted a second later.

A large amount of sand exploded in front of Bawabawa's path, seemingly coming out of nowhere. Bawabawa was knocked back, and as a result everyone riding him fell off, only to find that their path had been abstracted by a massive hollow.

The hollow was made entirely of sand save his white hollow mask that indicated his face. Above his mask was a crown made of a standard sand castle, giving him the appearance of a beach sculpture.

'_Never thought I'd be thankful for a hollow to attack.' _Ichigo thought as he released a sigh of relief, not wanting to be pressured into explaining to Nel what Orihime was to him.

"Uh-uhhhh-uhhh." Nel squeaked out as she pointed a shaking finger at the massive sand hollow.

"I-It's Runuganga the sand guardian." Nel cried out in fear as she stared at the large hollow before them.

"You shall not pass Soul Reaper." Runuganga declared as he turned his gaze to Ichigo.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… can we skip to the part where I beat you?" Ichigo asked in a bored tone as he unsheathed Zangetsu and entered his battle stance, pointing the edge of the large blade at the hollow that barred his way.

"Hahahahahahahahaha." Runuganga cackled as he heard Ichigo's words.

"Oh that's a good one Soul Reaper, as if you could defeat m…" Runuganga began before the target of his mocking appeared in front of his face, zanpakuto poised to slice him in half.

Ichigo brought his sword down, splitting Runuganga's face in two, leaving Nel and her brothers speechless at the sight of the hollow's face falling to his sides.

"You know you talk too much." Ichigo stated in a bored tone as he landed back onto the sands of Hueco Mundo.

"Itsygo look out!" Nel shouted, pointing at Runuganga's regenerating form.

'_Instant regeneration… how annoying.' _Ichigo thought as he looked back up at the hollow's face to see Runuganga's face coming back together.

"You caught me off guard Soul Reaper but it won't happen again." Runuganga bragged as he brought his fists to bear and began throwing punches at Ichigo, who just dodged them by either sidestepping or using flash step.

'_This guy is a pain.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to dodge the punches.

"This ends now." Ichigo stated before his sword began to radiate large amounts of light blue spiritual pressure.

"What is it you think you are doing Soul Reaper, I shall be the one to end y…" Runuganga said before being cut off.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo roared, swiping his blade and sending a massive blast of spirit energy directly at Runuganga at blinding speeds, demolishing the monstrous sand hollow on impact and scattering the makings of his body across the immediate area.

"Uhhh uhhh uhh." Nel rambled in amazement as she pointed to the defeated form of the sand guardian, seemingly unable to comprehend how quickly Ichigo had won.

'_He took out Runuganga with one strike… just who is this guy?' _Pesche and Dondochakka wondered similarly as they witnessed the attack connecting with Runuganga.

"Alright we've wasted enough time, let's get going." Ichigo said as he placed Zangetsu on his back once more and began to walk towards Bawabawa.

"Wait Itsygo, what was that?!" Nel shouted, having recovered from her shocked state.

"That was the power of my sword but I can explain that at another time. For now we need to go since I don't have much time." Ichigo replied as he grabbed Nel.

"Come on you two." Ichigo ordered before using flash step to appear on Bawabawa's back along with Nel.

'_Just how strong is this guy?' _Pesche and Dondochakka wondered as they ran up to Bawabawa.

"Alright Bawabawa Las Noches and step on it!" Nel shouted as she pointed towards the white fortress for emphasis, prompting Bawabawa to begin moving once more.

'_Hopefully we will have no more interruptions.' _Ichigo silently hoped as they began to move once more.

"Itsygo, Nel still wants to know what your relationship is with the human girl you're visiting." Nel said, returning to the subject of conversation prior to the fight with Runuganga.

"Well you see I-I uhhh…" Ichigo trailed off, still not wanting to talk about it.

_**Las Noches: Orihime's Room **_

Orihime stood looking outside the barred window of her room, simply staring at the ever-present moon in the sky while deep in thought.

'_The longer I'm here the more I regret not saying anything.' _Orihime thought sadly as she continued to stare at the moon.

'_If I ever see him again… I have to promise myself that I will have the courage to tell him that I…'_ Orihime thought before an abrupt knock on her door broke her train of thought.

'_Who could that be?' _Orihime wondered as she went up and opened the door to her room, only to find two female arrancar standing on the other side.

'_What could they possibly want?' _Orihime wondered as the two arrancar stepped into her room and began to look around.

"Well, well, what do we have here Menoly?" One the female arrancar asked to the other.

"Looks like we have ourselves a spoiled little princess, Loly." Menoly replied, giving a smirk to the other arrancar that made Orihime feel uneasy.

"Wh-what?" Orihime exclaimed, not entirely sure that she heard them right.

"You heard her princess, now I want to know something…" Loly began.

"Do you think that you deserve this room, all the attention you're getting… Lord Aizen's interest?" Loly asked with venom backing her words.

'_I haven't even met these two before, why are they even hear?' _Orihime wondered as she began to feel the hostile aura the two females were exerting.

"What are you talking about?" Orihime asked, only causing Loly to scoff at her response.

'_This isn't going to end well.' _Orihime grimaced in thought as a mischievous smirk began to form on Loly's face.

"Maybe you can help Menoly with a little problem." Loly said, turning to Menoly who sported the same mischievous smirk that Loly sported.

"Great idea Loly, maybe she can help me out a little." Menoly replied.

"You see Menoly here has a bit of trouble controlling her cero and we'd be ever so grateful if you could help her out." Loly said, her smirk still present on her features.

"You scared yet princess?" Loly taunted.

"No." Orihime stated with conviction, fear completely devoid in her tone, causing Loly and Menoly to widen their eyes in shock.

'_What?' _Loly and Menoly thought in disbelief, having expected her to be trembling at this point

"Oh, so you're not scared are you… well take this!" Loly yelled as she threw a punch at Orihime.

Loly's attempt was all for naught as a shield of spiritual energy appeared in front of her, deflecting Loly's attack and sending her flying to the floor several feet back with the same force that she had used in her punch.

'_This isn't going to end well.' _Menoly thought as she rushed to Loly's side in an attempt to calm her sister before her anger caused her to do something they would both regret. She put a hand on Loly's shoulder, only for it to be shrugged off by the enraged female who stood up a moment later with clenched fists.

"Loly don't do anything rash." Menoly pleaded as she noticed Loly's hand begin to exude red static.

"This'll teach you to mess with me!" Loly shouted as shot a red bala straight towards the redheaded human.

Orihime knew that she would not be able to block the attack quickly enough at such a close range with no forewarning. She closed her eyes and moved her hands and forearms up to cover her face, bracing for the inevitable impact.

'_What?' _Orihime thought as she noticed that no impact had occurred and that she was fine. She opened her eyes a moment later to see the form of Ulquiorra with his left hand extended and his other hand still in his pocket, revealing himself to have protected Orihime from the bala.

"What is it that you two think you are doing?" Ulquiorra asked in his eternally emotionless voice.

"We-we uhh we…" Menoly rambled, unable to form a coherent sentence out of pure fear.

"Need I remind you that Lord Aizen had declared that no harm should come to this girl?" Ulquiorra chastised, inwardly debating whether or not to kill the two for insubordination. Not a word was said in response as the two females were paralyzed for the moment.

"I will take your silence as affirmation that you need be reminded." Ulquiorra stated.

"This girl is at the moment indispensable due to her role In Lord Aizen's grand scheme." Ulquiorra began.

"You two on the other hand are nothing more than overzealous pieces of trash which I can dispose of on a whim with no repercussions whatsoever." Ulquiorra finished, causing Loly to break out of her fear induced daze in absolute rage at Ulquiorra's statement.

"That's not true Lord Aizen…" Loly began before being cut off.

"Has ordered that she not be harmed." Ulquiorra finished for her, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

"Now unless you desire to find out what a real cero can do I suggest you leave before I change my mind about letting you go." Ulquiorra stated.

"Loly lets go." Menoly ordered as she grabbed Loly's wrist before she began to drag her out of the room.

"Are you alright girl?" Ulquiorra asked after the two female arrancar had exited the room.

"Yes, I'm fine." Orihime replied.

"That attack was called a bala, and since you did not have your shield activated that attack very well could have severely injured you or worse killed you." Ulquiorra stated.

"Had I not shown up when I did that attack would have hit you… and yet I recall you saying that you were not afraid of them. So I ask you once more… are you afraid?" Ulquiorra asked, expecting Orihime's close encounter with death to changer her opinion on the matter.

"No, I am not now nor will I ever be afraid of anything or anyone in this palace." Orihime replied with conviction, causing Ulquiorra's eyes to widen, if only for a moment.

'_How is it possible that she is still unafraid after all that has happened to her?' _Ulquiorra wondered his curiosity getting the better of him.

"You nearly died just now and yet you are still not afraid… tell me how exactly is it that you are so fearless in the face of what has happened to you?" Ulquiorra questioned, more interested in Orihime's answer than he would let on.

"I… I don't really know… I guess in my heart I have no fear of this place." Orihime replied.

"Ridiculous… what is this heart that you humans speak so fondly of?" Ulquiorra began as he moved his right hand to the center of Orihime's chest.

"If I were to tear open your chest would I be able to understand, if I were to crack open your skull would I then be able to see your heart?" Ulquiorra questioned, taking his hand off of Orihime's chest as he finished.

"The heart is not something that you can explain in simple words… it's just something that everyone has to find on their own… regardless of who they are, or what they believe… they must find their own heart." Orihime replied.

"I see… well I suppose that I should inform you that my original purpose in coming here was to give you your meal." Ulquiorra stated, motioning for one of the servants to bring in Orihime's food.

"I will leave you to your meal in peace." Ulquiorra said as he made to leave the room.

"Oh and before I depart, you do not have to worry about any further intrusions on the part of those two Numeros girls." Ulquiorra stated as he continued to walk towards the door.

"Thank you." Orihime said, causing Ulquiorra's eyes to widen slightly at the unexpected thanks.

"I require no thanks for preforming the duties I have been given." Ulquiorra simply said as he shut the door, leaving Orihime to eat in peace.

'_This girl has absolutely nothing to be thankful for… and certainly has no need to be thanking me… and her lack of fear… perhaps this heart that she speaks of is truly something worthy of looking into.' _Ulquiorra thought as he walked down the halls of Las Noches.

_**Sand Dunes of Hueco Mundo**_

"Nel, how much longer would you say until we reach the gate of Las Noches?" Ichigo asked, having become bored with the silence that followed his dodging Nel's question.

"We're about one and a half days out, so you should make it there before three days." Nel chirped, smiling at Ichigo.

'_Looks like I'm going to make it in time.' _Ichigo thought as he released a sigh of relief.

"Hey Itsygo, Nel is curious, why do you have arrive at Las Noches within three days anyway?" Nel asked, a confused but innocent expression etched on her face.

"Well Nel the thing is…" Ichigo began before he was cut off by another explosion of sand that obstructed the group's path to Las Noches.

'_What now?' _Ichigo thought as he jumped off Bawabawa, highly annoyed this had happened twice so far.

"Foolish little Soul Reaper, you thought you had defeated me?" Runuganga taunted as he began to form from the explosion of sand that had knocked back Bawabawa.

"I was kinda hoping." Ichigo replied with a deadpanned expression.

"I was charged with guarding these sands by Lord Aizen and I shall not fail." Runuganga declared as the sand around Ichigo began to form a massive whirlpool, spinning Ichigo and his companions rapidly.

"Nel, are you alright?" Ichigo shouted as the vortex of sand continued to swirl, trying to get a read on his traveling companions.

"Nel is alright Itsygo, but Nel won't be for long with where we're going." Nel shouted back cryptically confusing Ichigo.

"Now fall below to the depths Soul Reaper!" Runuganga bellowed as the group flushed down the sand vortex and dropped into the forests below.

_**Exit of the Menos Forest**_

"Well, well, boys… it appears that we have company." A large purpled skinned adjuchas with a hollow hole on his upper left chest and a disk like appendage on his back said as he sensed a spiritual presence enter the forest.

"What would the guardian of the Menos Forest ask of us?" A green skinned ogre-like adjuchas asked.

"You shall go and do what we were charged with, defend the forest from the enemies of Lord Aizen." The guardian stated.

"The three of you shall go, and take as many hollows as you like… I sense that this being has immense spiritual pressure and I would advise the use of caution." The guardian continued.

"Yes sir." The three adjuchas replied before leaving for the source of the large spiritual pressure.

_**Menos Forest**_

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Nel and her brothers screamed as they began to fall to the floor of the colossal forest they had been shoved into.

'_Guess I should save them.' _Ichigo thought before using flash step to get in-between the three falling arrancar.

"Hold on you guys." Ichigo ordered, prompting the three arrancar to latch onto him out of fear.

Once the three were holding on, Ichigo used flash step once more to safely land the group on the floor of the apparent forest.

"Everyone alright?" Ichigo asked as Pesche and Dondochakka fell to the floor, stunned by fear for the moment.

"That was amazing Itsygo, Nel can't believe that you saved Nel again!" Nel shouted as she captured Ichigo in a death hug.

"N-Nel… ne-need a-air." Ichigo chocked out as Nel continued her death hug.

'_Air, thank god for air…' _Ichigo thought as Nel ceased her hug, allowing Ichigo to breathe once more.

"Oh sorry Itsygo." Nel said as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

'_Uh oh… this is not good.' _Nel thought as she once more realized where it was that the group had ended up.

"We're all gonna die!" Nel exclaimed as she began to run in circles, crying out of fear.

"Nel, what are you doing?" Ichigo deadpanned, not getting why Nel was afraid.

"Nel knows that we landed in the Menos Forest!" Nel shouted, prompting Pesche and Dondochakka to join in on the crying spree.

"We're all gonna die!" Pesche and Dondochakka exclaimed as they mimicked Nel's previous action.

"What exactly is the Menos Forest Nel?" Ichigo asked, breaking Nel out of her crying spree.

"Oh that's an easy question to answer Itsygo…" Nel began, regaining her innocent childlike smile.

"The Menos Forest is where all the lower level hollows live. A hollow first becomes a Gillian then evolves into an adjucha and then after that the strongest type of hollow, a Vasto Lord. The Menos Forest is called the Menos Forest because of the large amount of Menos Grande that live in it." Nel explained.

"You see, once a hollow evolves into an adjucha they usually wonder around in the deserts of Las Noches, leaving the weaker hollows to evolve in the Menos Forest on their own." Nel continued.

"Since Lord Aizen took over the Menos Forest, the forest has been under the direct control of the guardian of the Menos Forest and no hollows have been allowed to walk on the surface that aren't arrancar." Nel said, finally finishing her long winded explanation.

"Is that it Nel?" Ichigo deadpanned, having just absorbed all of that information at the speed of a mile a minute.

"I think that's about it." A raspy voice from the forest replied, bringing Ichigo's attention to its source.

Ichigo turned to see a group of three adjuchas standing on the branch of a nearby tree. What's worse they had not come alone and Ichigo found himself surrounded by a seemingly endless swarm of hollows, backed up by a large amount of Menos Grande.

"You ready to die Soul Reaper?" A brown skinned grasshopper-like adjuchas taunted from his perch in a nearby tree.

'_Dammit they've got us surrounded.' _Ichigo thought as he readied his sword for the coming fight.

"Kill him!" The green skinned adjuchas ordered, prompting the legions of weaker hollows to descend on Ichigo in an attempt to kill him.

'_These guys are crazy if they think that hollows this weak can beat me, no matter how many of them there are.' _Ichigo thought as he slashed through hollow after hollow, with seemingly no end to the relentless onslaught.

"Let's finish this off shall we?" A gray skinned adjucha with tree trunk like arms asked to his fellow adjuchas.

"I agree… this could get rather boring if we simply watch as this Soul Reaper slaughters endless amounts of cannon fodder." The green skinned arrancar with an ogre like mask concurred.

"Gillian's, fire your cero!" The ogre-like adjuchas ordered, prompting the large amount of Menos to open their mouths and begin to charge crimson colored Ceros.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo roared, swinging his blade and sending the devastating attack charging at the Menos, cutting down at least five of them.

Though the attack was effective it had not succeeded in defeating each and every Menos that had its sights locked on the orange haired Soul Reaper and as a result the numerous doom blasts still flickered to life, before becoming completely charged in the mouths of the Gillian and firing a moment later

'_Dammit there's so many of them.' _Ichigo thought before he used flash step to evade the devastating blast from the Gillian's attack.

"Raaaaaaaaaa." The Menos roared as the remainder began to charge their cero's once more.

"Hya." Ichigo grunted as he began to use flash step to appear in front of every Menos he could see, splitting their face in two or severing their heads from their bodies with his zanpakuto.

"Dammit!" Ichigo yelled as he saw no end to the legions of hollows, no matter how many he seemed to cut down.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo yelled as he fired another attack at the Menos on the other side of the clearing, killing several more as the attack tore through their torsos with ease.

'_These bastards just keep coming… maybe if I take out those adjuchas over there they will stop coming at me.' _Ichigo thought as he began to develop a strategy for defeating the hollows that didn't involve his own overexertion.

"This is taking far too long." The brown skinned, insect-like adjuchas exclaimed as he watched the Soul Reaper tear through hollow after hollow.

"Do not be hasty brother. We cannot underestimate this one's power." The gray skinned adjuchas stated, trying to calm his comrade.

"Don't be foolish, this Soul Reaper will die!" The brown skinned adjuchas declared before jumping from his perch and charging the Soul Reaper.

"Wait you fool! You can't expect to…" The gray skinned adjuchas began before being cut off.

"Let him be." The ogre-like adjucha ordered, shocking his comrade slightly.

"But he cannot defeat the Soul Reaper alone." The gray skinned adjucha stated.

"It is clear that this one cannot be defeated by the numbers that are with us at the moment, and it is clear that even the three of us are not strong enough to defeat a being with such colossal spiritual pressure." The green skinned adjucha began.

"What we need to do is trap the Soul Reaper in a situation that not even he is strong enough to get out of." The adjucha continued.

"How do you suppose that we do that?" The tree trunk armed adjucha inquired, not seeing how they were going to trap the Soul Reaper.

"Oh that's simple… we will use bait." The ogre-like adjucha replied, staring at Nel and her companions as he did so.

"Prepare to die Soul Reaper!" The insect-like adjucha declared as he charged Ichigo with his claws.

"Not bad Soul Reaper." The adjucha complimented as Ichigo blocked his claws repeatedly.

'_Alright… so this guy is an adjucha… so hopefully if I can kill him along with those other two, these small fries will back off.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to block the hollow's repeated attacks.

"But still not good enough!" The adjuchas exclaimed as he sent a powerful punch at Ichigo, only for it to connect with air.

"You know you talk a lot for someone who isn't that tough." Ichigo stated from behind the adjucha, alerting the hollow to his new location.

"Your pretty good at running away Soul Reaper, why not just fight me?" The hollow taunted.

"Think you can handle it?" Ichigo shot back, raising his sword in the air as he did so. His sword began to radiate light blue spiritual pressure, causing the arrancar to laugh at the implication that he would be defeated so easily.

"Oh that's a good one Soul Reaper… what, do you think I am as slow as those Gillian you cut down with that attack, hahaha… don't make me laugh." The adjucha taunted, not phasing Ichigo in the slightest.

"This isn't an attack that you fire. It's…" Ichigo began before using flash step to appear directly in front of the adjuchas.

"…a sword technique." Ichigo finished, bringing his Zanpakuto across the unrespecting hollow, effectively slicing him in two at his midsection.

"Y-you ba-bastard." The adjucha chocked out before turning to dust a moment later.

"Raaaaaaaa." The Menos roared in a frenzy as they began to disperse, surprising Ichigo with their action.

"Wait I only had to kill one… I thought there were three." Ichigo thought aloud before hearing a monstrous cackle from the nearby trees. The abrupt action brought Ichigo's attention to the area it had come from, shocking Ichigo as his eyes settled on the forms of the remaining adjuchas.

"Oh don't worry we're still here and we have guests." The green skinned adjucha stated, holding up Nel so that Ichigo could see.

"Nel!" Ichigo shouted as he realized what had happened.

"Please Itsygo save Nel!" Nel shouted, tears of fear running down her face.

"You bastards!" Ichigo yelled as he charged the two remaining adjuchas.

"I don't think so Soul Reaper. Gillian, fire your cero!" The ogre-like adjucha ordered as he ran away, prompting a dozen Menos to block Ichigo's path and begin to charge a cero in their respective mouths.

'_Dammit… if I want to end this quick I have no choice.' _Ichigo thought as he entered his Bankai stance.

"Ban…" Ichigo began before something absolutely unexpected occurred.

A flash of light appeared moving from Menos to Menos, seemingly leaving the beasts cut in half by the waist. The flash never seemed to stop until each and every Gillian was lying dead at the bottom of the forest, severed from its lower body.

"Raaaaaaa." The beasts cried out as one by one they hit the ground.

'_What the hell was that?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief as he saw the Menos perish before his very eyes.

As the Menos fell and the dust from their collapse subsided a figure could be seen standing at the epicenter of the momentary conflict. A human looking creature, wearing what appeared to be a battle torn Soul Reaper uniform, and a bull like hollow mask could be seen. He held a Zanpakuto and his form was further distorted by a fur coat that surrounded his upper back.

'_What is he… is he an arrancar?' _Ichigo wondered as he observed the form of the stranger, noticing the hollow mask and zanpakuto to be his most defining features.

"It's quite fortunate that you have such high spiritual pressure, otherwise I may not have been able to find you so quickly." The stranger stated, clearly having a man's voice.

"It feels as if I am in the presence of a strong captain… but I do not see a white haori. So tell me stranger, just who are you?" The man asked, turning to face Ichigo.

"I'm Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo answered.

"Since you seem to know about the captains can I assume you're a Soul Reaper, or should I assume that you're an arrancar because of that hollow mask you're wearing?" Ichigo questioned, pointing the tip of Zangetsu at the stranger to stay on guard.

"My name…" The stranger began, taking off his mask as he did so.

"…is Ashido Kano." Ashido answered. He had fairly long brown hair and gray eyes. His appearance made him out to be a young Soul Repaper squad member.

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT: I unfortunately must say that I will not be updating this story… (Pause for the heart attack) until next Tuesday. I will be going on vacation with my family this Saturday and will not return for one week, the next chapter will be good I promise, and after I return I will likely return to multiple updates a week, during this time, if you have any questions, go for it, I will try to answer them. To be perfectly honest, it feels odd that I will only do one update for the next week… I've actually never done that… I don't like it. **

**A/N That covers this chapter, thanks for reading and now here are a few insights as to what happened this chapter. So Ichigo met Nel and her "brother's" this chapter, will I have Nel make an appearance as an adult? Won't tell even if the answer was yes… or no. The Yoruichi bit in case anyone was wondering, if you thought that was OOC, well a guy she just liked walked out of her bed without saying a word and is nowhere to be found… how would you react? xD, and without further adou, here are the responses to reviews. **

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Thanks for complimenting the chapter, but as for the plot… well all I can say is that Yoruichi definitely knows something is wrong, and she is more worried than mad at the moment in case that was any indication ^^

**Vail Ryuketsu**: Yeah, to be honest the reason I didn't have them fight was because it wouldn't have really made sense, Ulquiorra wanting to follow orders and Ichigo being smart enough to realize that fighting would probably be a bad idea.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Okay, well all I will say is that Yoruichi won't disappear from the story, and she does see Ichigo again, but how that happens I would challenge any of you to guess.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Well… if this chapter was any indication she is more sad that he is gone/worried that he is in trouble. As for the Gin thing, yes that was what I was going for xD.

**darkmachines**: I didn't have Ichigo enter the passage this time, mostly because I didn't want him to fight and take up half the chapter, but also because Aizen doesn't really want any of the arrancar to know that Ichigo is there. Ulquiorra is the only hollow that would be aware of this, but even he would not be informed if Ichigo chose to come. As for why, you'll see soon ^^

**Mexican ninja-1996**: Well… the answer is neither, but Yoruichi won't hurt him… much.

**VOGoshiniki**: Yeah, but will Ichigo actually end up working for Aizen? Won't tell :))

**Rei Resuragi**: Well he meets Nel, and now you don't have to wait… until next time.

**hornet07**: I thought so as well… hope you like the part that Ichigo meets Ashido instead of Rukia, though I'm not sure if that is cannon or not.

**Unstoppable150**: Well… can't say Orihime will die, can't say she won't.

**Arrankor**: If you're missing Orihime's love confession… you won't be disappointed… or will you? (I love to do this :P, but you will find out in like two chapters)

**sami217**: Yeah, I felt bad because it wasn't really fair to Yoruichi and Ichigo, and it will continue to be unfair for some time, but then it gets good, funny, and Ichigo will get hurt… a lot.

**friaku**: A lot of people seem to think similarly xD

**Ryden Purrson**: See pervious response and LOL


	13. Escape the Forest

**A/N Now for some explaining. I read the outline to see exactly what will be happening in the future, so I have decided to work a bit and make this chapter. I will still not be posting next week with the exception of Tuesday, after which it will be super fast updates, or at least I will try. I wanted to make this chapter just so that when I started to update quickly again, or at least more quickly, you would be in the good stuff. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 13**

'_What the hell is a Soul Reaper doing down here… he looks like he's been down her a while too.' _Ichigo thought as he observed Ashido's appearance and tried to deduce how long he had been down here.

"You said you were a Soul Reaper, if that's the case than why are you down here?" Ichigo questioned.

"I was once a Soul Reaper of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads…" Ashido began as his expression grew solemn.

"One day myself and several members of my squad were chasing down a group of hollow that had appeared in the Rukongai districts and began to terrify the local population. We successfully pushed the hollows back to a black hole that appeared in the middle of one of the nearby districts. We saw the hollows running into it and I along with many members of my party jumped into it in an attempt to defeat the retreating hollows." Ashido continued, gaining a saddened expression.

'_He must have jumped through a Garganta.' _Ichigo thought as Ashido mentioned the black hole the hollows jumped into.

"When we arrived… we found ourselves surrounded by hollows, many more than we had fought off in the Soul Society. We did what we could and fought them off, although many had died in battle. Those that survived continued to fight and survive, but eventually only I remained. Sometime later, I realized that the place we had arrived was where hollows came from." Ashido stated, bringing himself out of his sadness.

'_This poor man.' _Ichigo thought sadly as he heard Ashido's story.

"I have lived here in the Menos Forest for so long that I have lost track of the years, but while I have been here, I have made it my life's work to defeat as many of these hollows as I can in order to stem the flow of these loathsome beasts between here and the world of the living in an attempt to save lives. This brings me to a question that I now have for you." Ashido stated, breaking Ichigo out of his pitying thoughts.

"Has there been a change in the number of hollows between here and the world of the living?" Ashido asked, hopeful that he was indeed making a difference.

"I-I'm sorry but there has not… in fact due to recent events, it has gotten worse." Ichigo replied, confusing Ashido slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" Ashido questioned.

"A war has broken off between a class of hollow known as arrancar and the Soul Society. I don't really have time to go into the exact details of what happened, but as a result more and more hollows have been going to the world of the living." Ichigo explained.

"I see…" Ashido trailed off unable to keep the subtle look of disappointment form forming on his features.

"Don't get to down about it, this war isn't your fault after all." Ichigo stated, trying to comfort the man.

"Thank you, but in hindsight what you have told me makes a lot of sense." Ashido replied, causing Ichigo to grow confused.

"What do you mean, Ashido?" Ichigo asked, deciding to voice his curiosity.

"The behavior of the Gillian has changed over the past few months. They now serve at the order of the adjuchas class hollows. On top of that the presence of the adjuchas was rare in the Menos Forest up until the time that the behavior of the Gillian changed." Ashido explained.

"Now… I would ask you to follow me, I live in a cave just past this section of the Menos Forest and we will be safe there." Ashido said as he began to walk off in the direction of the cave.

"Wait Ashido, hold on." Ichigo said, prompting Ashido to turn in his direction and cease walking.

"Yes Ichigo?" Ashido asked, slightly annoyed that he was exposed for this long out in the open.

"I need your help…" Ichigo said in a low voice.

"What do you mean by that?" Ashido questioned with a raised brow.

"Before you arrived I fought off several Gillian and weaker hollows…" Ichigo began before being cut off.

"Yes, I am aware. The amount of spiritual pressure I felt was as I said before… most impressive." Ashido complimented, causing Ichigo to release a slight chuckle.

"They were being led by three adjuchas, one of which I cut down… but as I was cutting him down the other two kidnapped a group of small arrancar that I had come to know as companions, I need to save them." Ichigo stated with conviction, causing Ashido's eyes to widen at what he said.

'_Befriending a hollow?' _Ashido thought in absolute disbelief.

"So are you going to help me or not?" Ichigo asked, noticing that Ashido was spacing out.

"The best course of action is to seek refuge in my cave, even if I were to help you I wouldn't know where to look for your… friends." Ashido replied.

"Hang on Ashido. The reason I came here to Hueco Mundo is because if I don't make it above ground…" Ichigo began, gaining a pained expression before a brief moment of silence passed between the two.

'_Why did he change demeanors so quickly just now?' _Ashido wondered as he noticed Ichigo's saddened expression before his thoughts were interrupted by Ichigo's speech.

"If I don't get to the surface within the next two days… a very close friend of mine is going to die… a human, not a hollow and not a Soul Reaper. She has done nothing Ashido and she is here because of me." Ichigo continued, causing Ashido to nod his head in understanding, knowing full well the want to save those who are innocent.

"Very well Ichigo Kurosaki, I will help you leave the Menos Forest." Ashido stated, having developed sympathy for the boys quest.

"Will you first help me find the three arrancar that I brought with me?" Ichigo asked, causing Ashido to release a tired sigh.

"Yes… but I warn you that I don't really know where those adjuchas could have taken them." Ashido answered, making it quite clear in his tone that he believed Ichigo's request to be a poor decision.

No sooner than Ashido finished his reply, a large snake like arrancar pummeled through a group of trees and headed straight for Ichigo, looking frantic as it did so.

"Ichigo look out!" Ashido shouted as he drew his blade and aimed it at the theoretical enemy.

"Wait Ashido don't attack it!" Ichigo yelled, causing Ashido to grow confused.

"Huh?" Ashido exclaimed, giving Ichigo a facial expression that matched the magnitude of his surprise.

"That thing is called Bawabawa. It is the hollow I sort of… road in on I guess." Ichigo said, trying to find the right words to describe how he knew the arrancar.

Ichigo then began to observe the new arrival as Ashido decided to shrug off his confusion, believing that more important things were needed to be done at the moment.

"I think he's trying to tell us something." Ichigo thought aloud as he observed how frantic Bawabawa was currently being.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh." The hollow barked out as it began moving its head up and down, as if nodding in confirmation.

"I think he wants to show us something…" Ichigo said, again causing Bawabawa to seemingly nod once more.

'_This is weird beyond belief…' _Ashido thought upon his seeing the hollow respond to what Ichigo had been saying.

"Oh well… get on Ashido." Ichigo ordered as he jumped on Bawabawa's back.

"Wait what?" Ashido questioned with a dumbstruck expression.

'_He really expects me to ride that… that thing?' _Ashido wondered as he realized Ichigo was being serious.

"You heard me, get on. What's the big deal anyway, are you scared?" Ichigo taunted much to Ashido's annoyance.

"Me, scared of a hollow, did you forget where I live Ichigo?" Ashido retorted.

"Then you should have no problem getting on." Ichigo replied.

Ashido made to reply but closed his mouth at the realization that the kid had a point.

"Damn kid." Ashido mumbled under his breath before joining Ichigo on Bawabawa's back.

"Let's go Bawabawa." Ichigo said, prompting Bawabawa to slither up a large tree.

As Bawabawa reached the top, he stared off in a specific direction as if meaning to show something to Ichigo and Ashido.

"It appears that he is pointing to the exit of the Menos Forest." Ashido observed as he looked off in the direction that Bawabawa appeared to be looking off to.

"Is that where Nel is Bawabawa?" Ichigo questioned.

"Uh-huh, Uh-huh." The hollow grunted in confirmation.

"That was what I was afraid of." Ashido said as he closed his eyes in disdain.

"What are you talking about Ashido?" Ichigo asked, noticing Ashido's distaste for the exit.

"The exit is the most heavily guarded area in the entire Menos Forest, and the fact that the adjuchas knowingly took your friend means that they are likely to concentrate their forces for a trap in an attempt to kill you." Ashido explained before opening his eyes and turning to face the orange-haired Soul Reaper.

"All that trouble for little old me, I'm flattered." Ichigo joked, prompting Ashido to chuckle slightly.

'_Hey wait a minute…' _Ichigo thought as he realized something.

"If you know where the exit is than why haven't you tied to leave before?" Ichigo asked out of confusion.

"It is as I said before, I chose to stay here in order to stem the flow of hollows to the world of the living…even if I help you escape I shall stay here for it is where I belong." Ashido answered.

'_There's no way I'm leaving him behind.' _Ichigo thought as he prepared to respond. However before Ichigo made to protest, Ashido interrupted him.

"We should get going now or else your friends may not be so lucky." Ashido stated, causing Ichigo to drop the argument for the moment.

"Right… Bawabawa, head on over to the exit." Ichigo ordered, prompting the large snake like hollow to move down the tree and head towards the exit.

_**Menos Forest: Exit**_

"Nel misses Itsygo…" Nel trailed off as she and her companions stood on a platform just under the cavern that led to the entrance of Las Noches.

"Don't worry Nel, I'm sure Ichigo will come and rescue us." Dondochakka said in an attempt to comfort the green-haired arrancar.

"You really think so?" Nel asked, her voice full of hope.

"Of course I do! He wouldn't just leave us hanging like that you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka replied, brightening up Nel's mood slightly.

"Hey Dondochakka…" Pesche whispered in a hushed tone so as to not alert the hollows that were guarding them.

"What is it Pesche?" Dondochakka questioned in an equally as quiet tone.

"Why are we whispering?" Nel asked as she joined in on the whispering.

"I think I've hatched a plan that will get us out of here." Pesche stated.

"Lay it on us Pesche." Dondochakka replied, prompting Pesche to explain his plan.

_**Several Minutes Later**_

"Oh mister guard person." Pesche cooed whilst jumping up and down to get the attention of the hollows that were guarding them.

"What do you want ya little bug?" One of the guards asked, clearly agitated.

"Hey I'm not a bug!" Pesche shouted, clearly insulted.

"Look like a bug ta me." The hollow taunted.

'_Stay focused, stay focused, stay focused.' _Pesche chanted in thought as he tried to get over the insult he had just received at the hands of one of the guards.

"Well there seems to have been a terrible misunderstanding." Pesche stated.

"That so?" The guard questioned in an amused tone.

"You see here?" Pesche asked as he held up Nel's head towards the guard so as to show her cracked skull mask.

"What of it?" One of the other guards asked, being agitated at their prisoner's current rowdiness.

"This mask means that she is an arrancar and was created by Lord Aizen himself, if you don't want to make him upset with you than I suggest that you allow us to return to Las Noches." Pesche stated, causing the hollows guarding them to bow and become deathly afraid at the mention of Aizen's wrath.

"W-w-we had no idea mighty arrancar. We would never block the will of Lord Aizen." One of the guards stuttered out, fear hugely evident in his voice.

'_That worked…' _Pesche thought in disbelief as all of the hollows bowed before the three arrancar.

"That's right, now if you'll kindly point us to the exit we'll be on our way." Pesche said to the fearful guards.

"The exit is right up there and it should put you near the gates of Las Noches." One of the guards replied.

"Thank you… and for the record I am also an arrancar and I am no bug!" Pesche shouted, before turning around.

Unfortunately, Pesche turned around only to find that he was face to face with the guardian of the Menos Forest, leader of the legions of hollows that served under Aizen.

"Oh… uhh… hi there Mr. Guardian we were just… uhh… leaving." Pesche stuttered out, fearful as to what the guardian's reaction would be.

"Is that so? Well I would appreciate it if you would just stay put for the time being, does that suit you oh mighty arrancar?" The guardian questioned, eliciting laughter from his fellow adjuchas, who found the ruse to be quite amusing.

"Um… yeah sure… no problem." Pesche replied, only to be grabbed a second later by the guards along with Nel and Dondochakka.

"Take them to the ridge just below the exit and tie them up." The guardian ordered.

"Sir, what of the Soul Reaper we have discovered that he is being aided by Ashido." One of the other adjuchas said, angering the guardian.

"Ashido…" The guardian spat, recalling the Soul Reaper who had given him such trouble over his rule as leader of the hollows in the Menos Forest.

"If Ashido is with the Soul Reaper and they combine their powers we will need everything we have." The guardian stated as he turned to his remaining lieutenants.

"Gather all of our forces within the immediate area and have them bolster our defenses." The guardian ordered, believing that the best course of action was to over prepare for their expected guests.

"I will personally be there to guard these little troublemakers." The guardian added.

"When they come we will be ready and at all costs we will defend the exit and destroy the troublesome Soul Reapers that plague this forest." The guardian shouted as he addressed the legions of hollows that were on the forest floor below the platform which he stood.

_**Outside Urahara's Shop **_

"Ah it's good to be back." Urahara chirped as he and his entourage walked up to his shop for the first time in about two weeks.

"You're tellin me." Renji gripped as he rubbed his lower back, not at all happy with being given wagon duty.

"Oh come on Renji, why can't you be enthusiastic about carrying the merchandise back like Chad and Tessai?" Urahara joked.

"That was the most boring trip ever! I can't believe I got tricked into going!" Jinta shouted, not at all happy that he was required to go.

"I didn't think it was that bad!" Ririn chirped.

"Indeed… I found it quite enjoyable to be out of the shop for a while." Kurodo piped in, agreeing with Ririn.

"It was interesting to get out for a bit." Noba commented as the group began to unload the packages into the storage room.

"You're back early Kisuke." Yoruichi said as she walked outside the shop to greet the group.

"Why yes I am Yoruichi, and I should thank you for sending the extra help." Urahara chirped as he brought his fan out and began to wave it in front of his face.

'_What did he tell them?' _Yoruichi wondered as she saw that Renji, Jinta, and even Chad had blushes on their face, while Tessai started to sweat bullets.

"So Yoruichi… how was it?" Urahara questioned, grinning like a madman.

"What?" Yoruichi asked, confused as to what he was getting at.

"My mistake, I should have said how was he. We're dying to know…" Urahara replied, causing Yoruichi to blush at what he had implied.

"After all… it's all we talked about after the first day of the trip." Urahara stated as Renji and Jinta both fainted.

'_Is she is blushing… it must've been good.' _Urahara thought mischievously, his grin increasing in size.

'_So he thought… and he told.' _Yoruichi thought in disbelief, only to become angry a second later.

"Kisuke." Yoruichi said through gritted teeth.

"Oh come on Yoruichi, it had to have been good if you were blush…" Urahara began to say before a large amount of pain took away his ability to speak.

"Gah!" Urahara gasped out weakly as Yoruichi's foot connected straight with his family jewels.

'_That'll teach him…' _Yoruichi thought in triumph, allowing herself a slight smirk at the sight of Urahara clenching the point of impact whilst in a fetal position.

'_Note to self, do not bring up whatever Yoruichi did with Ichigo.' _All of the males thought similarly as they grabbed their respective point of weakness.

"Kisuke, we need to talk in private." Yoruichi said, becoming serious as she dragged Urahara inside.

"Have mercy Yoruichi!" Urahara cried out as he attempted to claw the ground like an animal trying to escape from the grasp of a predator.

"This is not going to end well for him." Chad said as he sweat dropped. Tessai merely gulped in response, not looking forward to treating his boss' soon to be extensive injuries.

_**Urahara's Shop (With Yoruichi and Urahara)**_

"Okay, before you kill me I have to know how your first time was." Urahara exclaimed as he held his hands over his face in defense, expecting a strong punch to be thrown at him.

"Knock it off Kisuke." Yoruichi ordered, a blush noticeably present on her face.

"Aha you're blushing, that means I was right!" Urahara shouted as he pointed an accusing finger at Yoruichi, who turned away to hide her barely evident, but telling, blush.

"Never really thought you'd ever find someone, and even more I never thought it'd be Ichigo of all people that you'd pick, but I guess I get it if y…" Urahara began before being cut off.

"Kisuke this is serious, Ichigo is gone!" Yoruichi shouted, causing Urahara's eyes to widen in absolute shock.

"Wh-wh-what?" Urahara asked, still in a daze of shock.

"Ichigo… is… gone." Yoruichi slowly repeated.

"Wait, wait, wait… start from the beginning. What exactly happened the day he… I guess, disappeared?" Urahara inquired, prompting Yoruichi to begin to tell him what happened.

"Well about a day or so ago, Ichigo had won a day off in a game of tag from me and…" Yoruichi began before being cut off.

"Wait a minute, he beat you in tag?!" Urahara exclaimed, not at all believing that was possible, even given Ichigo's colossal growth rate.

"Pray tell, exactly how did he manage to do that?" Urahara asked in all seriousness.

"I don't want to talk about it." Yoruichi replied, trying not to blush, but failing.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad." Urahara said in reassurance.

"All right… well he called me gorgeous and that shocked me so much that I just stopped running from him and he…" Yoruichi began before being cut off by Urahara's laughter.

"Bwahahahahahaha." Urahara laughed, rolling on the floor to make it even more dramatic.

'_It's not really that funny.' _Yoruichi thought as she once again failed to control her blush for the moment.

"Oh… oh that's rich! He called you gorgeous and beat you in a game of tag." Urahara said as he wiped a tear out of his eye.

"Anyway…" Yoruichi began, bringing the conversation back to the proper subject.

"Ichigo won so the next day when it was about half way through we decided to watch a horror movie then a romance movie and I sort of fell asleep during the romance movie." Yoruichi said before being cut off.

"So I figure that you cuddled up real close to your little crush during the movies?" Urahara teased, much to Yoruichi's annoyance.

"Not the point Kisuke." Yoruichi replied heatedly.

"Look at you being all sly Yoruichi. I'll even bet that you were the one who chose the movies." Urahara stated, taking Yoruichi's silence as confirmation.

"When Ichigo noticed that I was asleep he decided to pick me up and take me to my room." Yoruichi continued as Urahara's grin increased in size.

"While he was carrying me, I woke up after he reached the top of the staircase. When he placed me into the bed I… may have… sorta… kinda…" Yoruichi said, blushing profusely at the concept of confessing this to someone she believed was like her brother.

"Sorta kinda what Yoruichi?" Urahara asked with a knowing grin, revealing the reason for Yoruichi's discomfort in confessing the matter.

"Pulled him into the bed." Yoruichi replied as she looked away, blushing at the sight of Urahara's grin growing from ear to ear.

"Go on…" Urahara said as he pulled his fan out in front of his face and began to wave it.

'_That's it…' _Yoruichi thought angrily as she punched a hole straight through the fan, landing a hit on Urahara's jaw and sending the humble shopkeeper sliding to the floor.

"You're so mean to me Yoruichi!" Urahara pouted as he released an excess amount of tears for dramatic effect.

"Shut up Kisuke! And no I didn't sleep with him… I just fell asleep with him." Yoruichi stated, getting Urahara to grow serious.

"Wait a minute. You just fell asleep with him… I thought… oh." Urahara grimaced having recalled how many conversation on the subject were had during his trip with the others.

"Yeah… and I'll kill you for that later, but first there's this." Yoruichi said as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.

"What is this Yoruichi?" Urahara asked as he took the piece of paper from her hand.

"It's a note that Ichigo left for me to read when he got up. At first I didn't see it and thought he had run out on me after… after the previous night." Yoruichi said, gaining a saddened expression at the memory of her feelings of abandonment.

"Yoruichi, if this note is anything to go by than it sounds like Ichigo is interested in you." Urahara said trying to comfort his oldest friend.

"You think so because I really thought… wait first things first…" Yoruichi began, realizing that she could talk about her and Ichigo to Kisuke later.

"I looked all over town for him because I thought he had just walked out… I didn't find him so I came back here and found that note, after which I went down into the training facility and he wasn't there." Yoruichi stated, causing Urahara to grow deadly serious.

"His body is still here and after reading that note I realized that Ichigo would not have left me like that unless something bad had happened." Yoruichi said, becoming saddened at the thought of losing Ichigo.

"As much as I hate to admit it Yoruichi I know for a fact Ichigo's not the type of person that would hurt you like that, and I only see a few possible options as to why he disappeared and still has not returned." Urahara stated, trying to choose his words of comfort carefully.

'_I've never seen her so bent out of shape by a guy before… it's Yoruichi for crying out loud. Even if serous relationships aren't her department, how did this happen to her?' _Urahara thought as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, baffled that Ichigo had such a noticeable impact on Yoruichi.

"Yoruichi are you alright?" Urahara asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I'm fine Kisuke. Just tell me what you think could've happened." Yoruichi replied.

'_This is ridiculous even if it is a guy as great as Ichigo I still can't believe I'm acting like this.' _Yoruichi thought in frustration as she tried to get her emotions in check.

"Very well, option number one is the possibility that Aizen or an unknown enemy has taken Ichigo." Urahara stated, taking note that Yoruichi's expression saddened at the mention of Ichigo being taken by an enemy.

"Possibility number two would be simply that Ichigo left for some personal business, which is the least likely of the three but still possible." Urahara continued, thankful that the last two possibilities he could think of were not quite as grim.

"Possibility number three is that Ichigo was summoned to the Soul Society abruptly which very well could have happened given their track record with poor forewarning." Urahara stated, giving slight hope to Yoruichi.

"That last one is my hope because if Aizen is involved with this…" Urahara trailed off, not wanting to upset his best friend by saying that the only man she had shown interest in could very well die.

"You can say it Kisuke, even if it was the least likely of options there is still a chance that he could die." Yoruichi said, fighting back the tears that began to form in her eyes.

"Well if Aizen is planning on killing him, he likely hasn't done it yet because there has been no change in the connection between Ichigo and his body." Urahara said, trying to reassure Yoruichi.

"How can you tell?" Yoruichi asked, waning to know how she could check up on Ichigo's status.

"Well, you see when the body has been so long without a host to it develops a pulse that will only disappear upon the definitive death of its original owner." Urahara explained.

'_At least that means he's still alive.' _Yoruichi thought as she released a sigh of pure relief.

"We can go to the Soul Society tomorrow in order to see if Ichigo was indeed summoned there, I think it's our best option at the moment." Urahara said, getting a nod of agreement from Yoruichi.

"Yoruichi… if you need to talk… I just want you to know I'm here for you." Urahara said in all seriousness.

'_Always acting like a big brother.' _Yoruichi thought as she nodded at the eccentric shop keeper.

"At the moment Kisuke, you should tell the others… when I'm ready… I will talk to you about it." Yoruichi replied.

"Just so that you know… I want to know everything." Urahara said, winking as he finished, prompting Yoruichi to send him flying to the ground with a punch to the stomach.

_**Near the Exit of the Menos Forest**_

"Bawabawa stop, we're close enough." Ichigo ordered as the three neared the exit of the Menos Forest.

"Alright then… we need to see what we're up against." Ashido said after he and Ichigo had gotten off the large snake like arrancar.

"Bawabawa, go someplace safe and keep an eye out for when we defeat the hollows so you can exit with us." Ichigo ordered, getting what seemed to be a nod of understanding from Nel's cherished pet before it followed the Soul Reaper's request.

"What're we up against Ashido?" Ichigo asked as he joined Ashido on the ridge overlooking the canyon that lead to the exit platform.

"You want the good news, the bad news, or the worst news?" Ashido asked in all seriousness.

"I'll take the worst news first." Ichigo replied.

"Alright then… well it seems that your friends are being held at the highest platform in the canyon, just underneath the exit itself." Ashido stated, causing Ichigo to grow confused.

"How exactly is that the worst news?" Ichigo asked.

"Well since it's the highest point to get there we have to get through an innumerable amount of hollows in order for you to both exit and save your friends." Ashido explained.

'_Oh well when you put it like that…' _Ichigo thought as he nodded in understanding.

"The bad news itself is that the adjuchas are here as well, including the guardian. They are guarding your friends, which will unfortunately mean that the hollows we fight will be organized." Ashido stated, not looking forward to fighting a group of organized Gillian.

"Lastly, the good news is that because there are so many hollows gathered, we know that they are taking us as a serious threat." Ashido said as he allowed himself a smirk.

"Exactly how is that good news?" Ichigo deadpanned, not understanding Ashido's reasoning for that being good news.

"It means that the adjuchas won't be rash enough to fight us themselves, which in turn means that as long as we can defeat the lower class hollows and scare them a little…" Ashido began before being cut off.

"Then they will be forced to fight or flee, meaning that either way we can get to the exit." Ichigo said, realizing what Ashido meant.

"I do have to warn you though…" Ichigo began, getting Ashido's attention.

"Yes, what is it Ichigo?" Ashido asked.

"If we get into a tight spot I'm going to have to release my Bankai." Ichigo stated, causing Ashido to go wide eyed.

'_A Bankai?' _Ashido thought in disbelief, having never witnessed one firsthand.

"If I start to hesitate with my Bankai… you have to run for it alright." Ichigo said, causing Ashido to grow confused.

"What do you mean by that Ichigo?" Ashido asked, not getting what Ichigo was saying.

"Let's just say that if I overexert myself while using Bankai there are some… negative side effects." Ichigo cryptically replied.

'_I guess I should leave it at that.' _Ashido thought as he noticed how serious Ichigo was being.

"Alright let's go." Ashido ordered as he used flash step to get to the canyons entrance.

_**Menos Forest: Exit Several Minutes Later**_

"Well, well, well, look at what we have here boys." The guardian shouted from atop the platform under the exit as Ichigo and Ashido came to stand before the army of hollows.

"You're going to get one chance to let Nel and her brothers go and let me pass guardian. If you refuse, then I guarantee that before this fight is over, you will be dead." Ichigo shouted, causing the guardian and his two adjuchas lieutenants to cackle like madmen.

"Oh that's a good one Soul Reaper. You, kill me? Ha… you won't even get past my army." The guardian shouted defiantly.

"You two take care of the hollow army. I'll leave this to you." The guardian ordered, getting a nod from his two subordinates before they jumped down to the forest floor to lead the hollows.

'_Get ready.' _Ichigo thought as he took Zangetsu off of his back and readied himself for the coming fight.

"Attack!" The ogre-like hollow shouted, prompting the innumerable weaker hollows to charge Ichigo and Ashido down the pass of the canyon.

"How are we going to go about this?" Ashido asked Ichigo as the hollows came closer and closer.

"I'll take the left you take the right, easy." Ichigo joked, getting a rare laugh as a response from Ashido.

"Sorry, I'd have laughed harder if we weren't about to fight an uphill battle." Ashido retorted before charging the right side of the approaching hollow army.

'_Figured he'd be the one to charge first.' _Ichigo thought before he too charged the hollow army.

The battle commenced, countless hollows charging wave after wave, with seemingly no end.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo roared as he sent a blast of spiritual energy at a large wave of approaching hollows, disintegrating them on contact.

'_Urahara's training method may have been boring but at least it helped out for fighting so many hollows.' _Ichigo thought as he admired the newly acquired precision that his attack possessed.

In previous battles, Ichigo was unable to deal with masses of the beast in any other way but slicing through them or using his Bankai, each of which was brutally inefficient on his part.

"Hado Number 31, Shakkaho!" Ashido yelled as he brought his left hand up and began to fire red balls of spirit energy at the oncoming swarm of hollows, destroying chucks and chunks of the clumped up beasts with each shot.

"Never took you…" Ichigo began as he slashed several hollows that had made their way to him.

"…for one to use Kido." Ichigo commented, still dealing with the hollows.

"Not much to do so I've had plenty of practice." Ashido replied as he dropped his sword before extending his left hand and supporting it with his right.

"Hado Number 33, Sokatsui!" Ashido shouted, sending the blast of lighting-like spiritual energy charging through the ground of the canyon pass, disintegrating droves of hollows as the attack continued to rush forwards.

"This is getting out of hand…" One of the adjuchas stated as he observed the Soul Reapers demolish wave after wave of their weaker troops.

"Should we send the Gillian at them?" The adjucha questioned to his comrade.

"If we do, our troops will be cursed under their feet due to the narrow passage." The larger adjucha reasoned.

"But then again… I would prefer to finish this up quickly." The hollow continued.

"Gillians destroy them!" The large adjuchas bellowed, prompting the numerous Menos to join the fray.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." The menos roared as they marched forward to bolster the strength of the lesser hollows.

"Dammit, they're sending in the Menos Grande." Ichigo said as he noticed the earth shake due to the asses approaching Gillian.

"This is their last ditched effort. Look, the menos are crushing the weaker hollows under their feet." Ashido stated as he observed the fleeing weaker hollows that made up the bulk of the adjuchas forces.

"All we have to do is defeat those Menos and the adjuchas will either flee, or they will fight and die!" Ashido roared as he charged the first line of Menos, quickly followed by Ichigo.

"This is ridiculous squash them you fools!" The greened skinned adjuchas roared as he witnessed the first line of Menos being carved up by the two Soul Reapers in the blink of an eye.

Lines of blades appeared as nothing more than flashes of light across the Torso's of the Gillian, who were unable to do anything but roar as their existence came to an end.

"Fire your cero's you incompetent fools!" The other adjuchas yelled, prompting the furthest row of Gillian to charge their cero's.

'_Dammit, with that many cero's firing at the same time in such an exposed area I have no choice.' _Ichigo thought as he entered his Bankai stance.

"Ashido stand back!" Ichigo yelled as he began to release a large amount of spiritual pressure.

'_This spiritual pressure is amazing it feels as if it's swallowing me whole.' _Ashido thought as he witnessed Ichigo prepare to use Bankai.

"Bankai!" Ichigo roared, causing the spiritual pressure exuding from him to release in one large wave.

The cero's fired from the countless Gillian, roaring to life and heading straight towards Ichigo and Ashido.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo shouted, releasing a powerful wave a black spiritual energy laced with red, crushing through the cero's the Gillian had fired and soon afterwards cutting through them as well.

'_That Getsuga… it's black unlike his Shikai's version of the attack, but something doesn't feel right. His spiritual pressure feels different… much darker than before.' _Ashido thought as he felt the massive surge of spiritual energy.

"Hya!" Ichigo grunted as he sent another attack towards the oncoming Menos, cutting down a good number of them with the power and precision of his attack fired of horizontally.

"Go into the fray and finish them… I can't allow this fight to consume anymore of our resources." The guardian ordered the two remaining adjuchas that served him.

"Very well." The two replied in unison before jumping down the hill to battle the two Soul Reapers.

"Ichigo, it would appear that they have ceased their advance." Ashido observed as the Menos halted their march and stood in a column formation completely motionless.

"That can only mean that the adjuchas are about to fight us." Ichigo reasoned.

The Menos parted, revealing the two adjuchas servants of the guardian to be approaching the two Soul Reapers.

"So Ashido… you've decided to come out of hiding. Well I guess this is two birds with one stone." The green skinned adjucha taunted as the Menos once again formed a column formation behind the two evolved hollows, blocking the path to the exit with their colossal bodies.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo roared, sending a colossal burst of spiritual energy towards the line of Menos, cutting them down with ease and creating an open path to the exit apart from the two adjuchas that still blocked their path.

"Ichigo… go and save your friends." Ashido said, causing Ichigo to widen his eyes in surprise.

"Wait a minute Ashido. You can't expect me to…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"I can handle these two… now go." Ashido ordered, giving Ichigo a look of determination to reassure him.

"Well, I can't just leave you hanging like that..." Ichigo said before disappearing from sight.

'_What?' _The green skinned adjucha thought in shock as Ichigo appeared directly in front of him, zanpakuto poised to slice off his right arm.

In the blink of an eye a shot of immense pain rocked his body, the cause of which was his arm being severed faster than he could even register the actions of the orange-haired Soul Reaper.

"Gaaaaaaah!" The adjucha cried as he fell to the ground, clenching the area where his arm had been severed from his body.

"Good luck Ashido." Ichigo said before he disappeared from sight once more.

"Are you prepared to die Soul Reaper?" The remaining adjuchas asked, readying his hands for combat.

"Funny…" Ashido began as he entered his battle stance.

"I was about to ask you the same thing… hollow." Ashido shot back.

"Don't get too overconfident!" The adjucha roared as he charged Ashido, thus beginning their fight.

_**Platform below the Exit of the Menos Forest **_

"You seem to be really good at watching your buddies die off like that." Ichigo chided as he appeared on the top platform, ready to face the infamous guardian of the Menos Forest.

"Itsygo!" Nel cried out from her entrapped position after seeing Ichigo arrive on the platform.

'_At least their alright.' _Ichigo thought as he saw Nel and her brothers tied up in what appeared to be ripe.

"You seem to be quite good at being a pest Soul Reaper." The guardian shot back as he turned to face Ichigo.

"Normally I'd give you the chance to run away, but I'm not in a very giving mood at the moment." Ichigo stated as he pointed his Zanpakuto at the guardian.

"Oh that's a good one you giving me the chance to run away… hahaha" The guardian laughed before opening his mouth and charging a crimson cero.

The blast of energy ripped through the grounds of the platform, drilling towards Ichigo at astounding speeds compared to the cero that the Menos had fired.

Ichigo simply lowered his sword and nonchalantly lifted his left hand, catching the crimson cero in the palm of his hand and throwing it to the side, completely negating any damage the cero would have done if it were to have made an impact.

'_Impossible.' _The guardian thought in disbelief, having an expression to match his thoughts, as he witnessed his cero being batted away as if it were nothing.

"From the look your face you probably expected that to kill me. You aren't that stupid are you?" Ichigo asked with a bored expression as he brought his sword up towards his opponent once more.

"Don't get too cocky Soul Reaper!" The guardian yelled as he shot his tail at Ichigo.

_**Below the Platform**_

"Hya!" Ashido grunted as he swung his blade at the gray skinned adjucha that was currently battling him.

Sparks flew as the blade slid across the form of the hollow, presenting quite a problem for the Soul Reaper.

'_He has hard skin to pierce… I need to find a point of vulnerability.' _Ashido thought before using flash step to appear behind the adjucha, who had seen the move coming a mile away.

"Not fast enough." The adjucha taunted as he sent his fist flying at Ashido, effectively shooting him backwards due to the strength of the punch. The target of the blow came to a quick stop, being no stranger to pain and revealing himself to be easily capable of taking a hit or two.

"Dammit." Ashido said as he panted heavily. His significant stamina was wearing on him, never before had the brave Soul Reaper intentionally hunted so many Gillian over the course of one day, nor had he intentionally confronted the adjuchas who lead the legions of hollows.

"What's the matter… did those weaklings wear you out?" The adjucha taunted.

"Well here, let me finish you off so you won't have to suffer!" The adjucha yelled as he raised his hands and began to charge a crimson cero within his raised palm.

'_My only hope is to end this now and help Ichigo escape before I tire myself out to much… if I time this out correctly it might just work.' _Ashido thought as he began to form a battle strategy in his head.

"Cero!" The adjucha roared, blasting the fully charged cero at Ashido.

"Now!" Ashido shouted as the blast neared.

The cero detonated seemingly near Ashido, prompting the arrancar to cackle in victory.

"What a pathetic fool, you deserved to di…" The arrancar said before the voice of another cut him off.

"Hado Number 73…" The voice of Ashido roared from the air above the adjucha.

'_Impossible!' _The adjucha thought in disbelief as he saw Ashido with both his hands raised an two balls of spiritual energy charging in his hands.

"Soren Sokatsui!" Ashido yelled, firing off the massive kido blast, disintegrating the hollow on contact.

Ashido stood victoriously at the center of the crater that had resulted from the blast of his Hado, thankful that his attempt to end the little skirmish had worked out flawlessly.

"Hold on Ichigo I'm coming." Ashido said before using flash step to race towards the highest platform that was just under the exit of the forest.

_**Platform below the Exit of the Menos Forest **_

"Die Soul Reaper!" The guardian shouted as he repeatedly shot his tail at Ichigo, who continued to dodge the onslaught of haphazard attacks.

"Your little friends are defeated, so why is it that you continue to attack me?" Ichigo asked while still evading the guardian's strikes.

'_He seems to fight primarily with his tail… guess it's time to see if I can concentrate my spiritual pressure well enough in Bankai to cut it off.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to dodge the hollow's attacks.

"You seem to enjoy that tail of yours…" Ichigo began after the hollow stopped his attacks to regain some of his strength.

"What would happen to you if I were to cut it off?" Ichigo asked in an emotionless tone, prompting the guardian to laugh at his question.

"You couldn't possibly cut through my tails hierro Soul Reaper, it's stronger than the hierro of many of the Espada and that is why I am the strongest hollow in this forest." The guardian boasted, launching his tail at Ichigo once more as he finished.

"Really… well then let's find out." Ichigo said as his blade started to glow with the characteristic color of his Bankai's spiritual pressure.

"I'm sorry to inform you that this fight…" Ichigo began before using flash step to dodge the guardian's tail swipe, only to appear directly behind the hollow a moment later.

"Is over!" Ichigo shouted as he swung his blade and severed the guardian's tail from the shell like appendage on his back.

"Gah!" The guardian shouted, reeling with pain.

"You bastard Soul Reaper!" The guardian exclaimed, realizing that he had been bested but still refusing to accept it.

"You talk too much." Ichigo stated as he brought his blade above his head, making to slice the hollow in two.

"Now di…" Ichigo said before clenching his face at the feel of a very familiar influence preventing his body from moving.

'**Now don't get too cocky Ichigo, hehehehehe.' **Ichigo's inner hollow stated as he tried to wrest control of Ichigo's body.

'_What's this?' _The guardian wondered as he saw Ichigo flailing about, having no evident control of his own movements.

'_Itsygo…' _Nel thought worriedly as she saw how sporadic Ichigo's movements were.

"I don't need you! Stop getting in the way!" Ichigo shouted, still grasping his face.

'**Hehehehehehehe, you think you can refuse me? Ha, don't be a fool you pathetic weakling.' **The hollow taunted as he gained more and more control of Ichigo's body, to the point that Ichigo was not able to move at all.

"Looks like your time is up Soul Reaper." The guardian stated as be brought his hand up, making to implant his claws in Ichigo's torso with a single thrust.

'_Dammit!' _Ichigo thought angrily as he braced himself for the impact of the fatal blow, only for none to come.

Blood flew in the air as the claws connected, though not with their intended target.

"You bastard!" The guardian grunted as he realized that Ashido had thrown himself in front of Ichigo and taken the attack for him.

"Gah…" Ashido cried out weakly as he coughed up blood due to the claws piercing his body through and through.

'_Ashido… you shouldn't have done that damn you!' _Ichigo though angrily, still unable to move or speak.

"Oh well, guess you die first!" The guardian bellowed as he began to take his claws out of Ashido's chest, only for the arm to be stopped before he could fully do so.

"What?" The adjucha exclaimed as he saw Ashido prevent his hand from fully retreating with his own.

"Bakudo Number 4, Hainawa." Ashido whispered weakly, binding himself and the adjucha together in the chains of the golden hollow.

'_What the hell is this?' _The guardian thought as he found himself unable to move.

"You and I were meant to die together… hollow." Ashido said just above a whisper, causing the guardian to go wide eyed at what he said.

"Ichigo, save your friends and get to the surface!" Ashido yelled as he made his way to the edge of the platform despite the hollow's resistance. He came to a stop at a position overlooking the bottom of the vast canyon.

"You can't possibly mean to…" The guardian said before being cut off.

"Ichigo… whatever happens… know that I died with pride." Ashido said as he jumped off the cliff, taking the bound adjucha with him.

"Ashido!" Ichigo yelled as he ran over to the edge of the platform, having finally been able to shake off his hollows influence due to Ashido's sacrifice.

"Even at this height I will live and you shall die Ashido!" The guardian yelled as he and Ashido continued to fall down the seemingly endless canyon.

"I never said that we would be reaching the bottom." Ashido whispered as his hands began to glow red.

"You bastard!" The guardian exclaimed as he realized what Ashido was doing.

"Hado Number 31, Shakkaho!" Ashido shouted, engulfing the pair in a torrent of fire, creating a massive explosion about half way down the height of the platform. The blast had completely disintegrated the form of both Ashido and the guardian, unmistakably revealing the two to have perished together.

"Ashido…" Ichigo whispered weakly as he stared at the explosion below.

'_Rest well in death Ashido.' _Ichigo thought sadly as he returned his sword to its Shikai form.

"Nel, it's time to go." Ichigo said as he sliced through her bindings, as well as those of Pesche and Dondochakka.

"Itsyog!" Nel yelled as she captured Ichigo in a death hug, crying hysterically as she did so.

"N-N-N-Nel…" Ichigo gasped out, unable to breath once more.

"Nel was so worried but Nel knew that Itsygo would save Nel again, Nel just knew it!" Nel cried out as she continued to hug Ichigo.

"Uhhhh Nel, I think he needs air." Pesche pointed out as he noticed Ichigo's face turning purple.

"Oh sorry Itsygo…" Nel trailed off, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly after she let go.

"It's alight Nel." Ichigo said as he recovered from nearly dying for the second time in a few minutes.

"Haaaaaaaaa." Bawabawa grunted as he joined the group on the platform.

"Bawabawa!" Nel chirped as she saw her pet arrive.

"Come one you guys we need to move!" Ichigo ordered as he began running for the exit, followed by Nel and her companions.

_**Exit of the Menos Forest **_

'_We're almost there, just a little longer.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to run towards the exit.

"Itsygo look back!" Nel cried out, prompting Ichigo to turn around, confused as to what she could have needed.

"What is it Ne…" Ichigo said before freezing midsentence at the sight of seven Gillian at staring them down at the other end of the exit.

At the center of the Menos stood a large green skinned adjucha who had a severed right arm, apparently rallying some remaining Gillian in an attempt to ambush the group as they escaped.

'_I thought I had killed him.' _Ichigo thought with wide eyes as he stared at the green skinned adjucha leading the Gillian.

"This'll teach you to mess with me you damn Soul Reaper!" The adjucha exclaimed.

"Gillian, destroy them!" The adjucha commanded, prompting the Menos to open their mouths and begin to charge crimson ceros.

'_Dammit, if those things go off this cavern will collapse… and I can't enter Bankai without it having the same effect…' _Ichigo thought in frustration as he tried to find a way out of this situation.

"Everyone get behind me!" Ichigo ordered, prompting every other member of the group to cower behind him, save for one.

"Nel what are you doing?!" Ichigo exclaimed as Nel jumped in front of Ichigo with her arms spread, looking as if she was trying to take the ceros for him.

"Itsygo protected Nel so now Nel will protect Itsygo." Nel replied just before the Menos fired their devastating attacks.

"Nel!" Ichigo screamed as he saw the crimson ceros grow closer and closer.

Ichigo braced for impact a moment later, only to be shocked when no explosion could be heard and the cavern stood strong and unfazed.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo thought in shock as he saw that Nel seemed to be absorbing the energy from the ceros into her mouth, effectively cancelling out the damage.

'_Sh-she can't be absorbing those ceros… can she?' _Ichigo wondered as Nel's cheeks puffed out due to the amount of spiritual energy she had absorbed.

'_Wait… if she can absorb it then that means…' _Ichigo thought before going into a panic at his sudden realization.

"Nel wait don't fire ba…"Ichigo said before Nel fired the incredibly large blast of spiritual energy she had absorbed directly back at the Menos and the adjucha leading them.

The resulting blast tore through the cavern, easily ripping through the group of hollows that had barred their retreat path. Unfortunately for Ichigo and company, the powerful burst of spiritual energy had the side effect of sending them flying to the surface at unbelievable speeds.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo and his companions screamed as the cero propelled them to the surface, sand and ruble erupting form the passage with them.

They exited the cavern very quickly and found themselves several hundred meters in the air, falling to the sands below as they reached the apex of their unexpected propulsion to the surface.

"Guys hold on!" Ichigo ordered, prompting everyone to grab onto Ichigo, including Bawabawa.

"Alright here goes." Ichigo said before using flash step to land the group as safely as he could on the sands below.

"That was close." Ichigo thought aloud before releasing a sigh of relief and crashing on the ground due to exhaustion.

'_Five minute break.' _Ichigo thought as he lay down on the ground in an attempt to gain a brief reprieve from all the madness he had faced thus far.

**A/N Well while Ichigo takes a five minute break, I have to take a five day break (No that wasn't planned it just kind of happened). Next update will be next Tuesday, and that will likely be the only update next week. I want to personally thank you for your patience in the matter especially since I have been updating this story like a maniac since posting it. **

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Sorry about the grammar errors, proofread the thing a little later than I should have xD. Thanks, and yes Yoruichi will indeed kick the crap out of him, if and when she sees him again… but wouldn't you? Oh and thank you for wishing me well on my vacation ^^

**Arrankor**: Upcoming chapters will hopefully make you feel much of the same way.

**Guest**: No, Ichigo's mother will not show up. Yes, the plan is no good for Ichigo at all, because no matter what happens he loses… ish. As for Ashido, I made him go down like a freacking badass, saved Ichigo and killed the guardian of the Menos Forest. Making Ashido leave would have been OOC, I hope people realize this and this way I don't tease you about whether he lives or dies. You know what happened, and he died on his own terms.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Ashido wouldn't have left the forest even if I hadn't killed him off. I hope people at least think his death was badass/poetic at the same time. I really liked his character and it was honestly hard to do this but I just felt I needed to go with it.

**S.R.457**: Thanks! Also that is a feeling I predict quite a few people will have in the coming chapters.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks, I like that people think highly of the story ^^

**Mexican ninja1996**: Sorry about lying but I think somehow you'll get over it xD, also thanks about the Yoruichi thing. Hope I did okay with this chapter as well.

**Ryden Purrson**: I don't mind at all! Your support means a lot given that you continue to do so :D. Thanks, hopefully you think I didn't mess up this time either xD

**darkmachines**: Unfortunately, I realized it would have been impossible to make Ashido go with Ichigo, too many complications with OOCness and especially given the fact that the next chapter… you will find out. I hope that people at lease believe the way he went out was in a badass Bleach fashion because that was the least I could do given the fact that I really didn't want to kill him off… though I could always bring him back if I wanted to.

**friaku**: Thanks, hope you continue to enjoy!

**hornet07**: YES! I really wanted to make her character have some guts as her powers are really useful but only as useful as she chooses to make them. Even when Ulquiorra first confronted her the only reason she went was because her friends *cough* Ichigo *cough* were threatened. As for his hollow in action… its coming… and it will be BIG.

**sami117**: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed these fight scenes as well. I do try to make the story a good mix of fluff/romance, action, and comedy. A good mix seems to make a good story. Thx for wishing me well! I'm quite thankful that people are understanding especially given the fact that if I really, really, hate not updating this story more than one a week, especially given that we're almost to the good stuff.

**McCabeRz**: First critique so let's do this! Okay, in terms of avoiding the conflict, well to be honest it was more of a 'well he was supposed to be training with the vizards to control it but he is in Hueco Mundo instead'. I feel the story flows well and if I had just randomly added in that he gets the mask when he is in Hueco Mundo that would be quite difficult to write as you can imagine. Don't worry though, the hollow is coming… and as I have said before it will be BIG. Also I sent you a PM regarding a summary of this review and an explanation with the whole Ulquiorra and the Getsuga thing along with Ichigo not using his Bankai. I have thought this through, and believe me when I say everything melds together well. As I have said before I have outlined over thirty chapters of the story.

**eroganfan117**: Well the plot twists will just keep coming and coming but hopefully I can make them absolutely awesome.

**talonjay**: He will not get the mask, but he gets something better… not telling what it is :P


	14. A Deal's a Deal

**A/N The reason I am posting this chapter now instead of on Tuesday (Yes I know this is the second time I've done this but I don't expect complaints…) is because of the way I have chosen to structure the next two chapters (Which includes this one). Essentially if I only posted this chapter next Tuesday and waited a week… people may have gotten a tad upset with the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, but you'll see what I mean. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not won Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 14**

_**Las Noches: Orihime's room**_

"Your meal is ready girl." Ulquiorra's voice sounded from outside the door.

"Come in." Orihime replied, prompting the green eyes Espada to enter the room with a servant who had been carting the meal towards the room.

"Those cloths ironically suit you well." Ulquiorra commented, having noticed Orihime wearing the white arrancar clothing that she had been provided with.

"Thanks… oddly enough I'd be inclined to agree." Orihime replied, giving a sad smile as she did so.

"I feel that it is my duty to inform you that you will be receiving a guest in the coming hours, if only for a short period of time." Ulquiorra abruptly stated, causing Orihime's eyes to widen in surprise.

'_A guest?' _Orihime thought, wondering who could possibly need to see her.

"Who is it?" Orihime asked.

"That will be a surprise." Ulquiorra replied as he exited the room, leaving behind a still surprised Orihime.

'_I have a bad feeling about this.' _Orihime grimaced in thought as she continued to eat her meal.

_**Sands Outside of Las Noches **_

"Itsygo you have to get up!" Nel cried out as she pulled on Ichigo's Soul Reaper uniform.

"Five more minutes…" Ichigo mumbled, rolling over as he did so.

'_Nel has an idea.' _Nel thought as she moved to Ichigo's side and brought her mouth just inches from his ear.

"ITSYGO!" Nel screamed at the top of her lungs, waking Ichigo up instantly.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo exclaimed as he put his hands over his ears in an attempt to stop them from ringing.

"What was that for Nel?!" Ichigo yelled with mock anger, a tick mark appearing on his forehead.

"Nel thinks we need to get going to Las Noches now!" Nel cried out, reminding Ichigo of his purpose.

"Sorry… you're right. Let's get going Nel." Ichigo said before grabbing Nel and flash stepping onto Bawabawa's back.

"Pesche, Dondochakka, come on, we need to get going!" Ichigo called out from atop Bawabawa.

"Coming." Pesche and Dondochakka said in unison before racing to get on Bawabawa.

As soon as they were all on Bawabawa, the snake-like hollow charged towards the entrance of Las Noches, which was only a short distance from the area they had been shot out of.

'_Now that I think about it I probably should ask Nel about what happened back there.' _Ichigo thought as he recalled the events that had led to the group escaping the Menos Forest.

"Hey Nel…" Ichigo began, getting Nel's attention, who had been staring off into the vast desert.

"What is it Itsygo?" Nel asked with a smile.

"What exactly was that back there… I mean how did you deflect those ceros?" Ichigo asked, becoming even more curious as Nel only continued to smile.

"Nel can absorb spiritual energy that is shot in a concentrated blast at Nel because Nel's mouth can hold it and then Nel can shoot it back." Nel chirped.

"B-but… I mean, how can you do that?" Ichigo asked, his expression matching his confusion.

"Nel has just always been able to do that." Nel replied while shrugging her shoulders.

'_Maybe one day you'll find out the truth Ichigo.' _Pesche and Dondochakka thought similarly as they listened to the conversation between the two.

"Nel's saliva can also heal wounds, wanna see?" Nel chirped, opening her mouth very wide and preparing to jam her hand down her throat.

"What? No, don't do that!" Ichigo shouted, effectively stopping Nel from activating her gag reflex.

"Why?" Nel asked with the innocence of a child.

"Because it's just disgusting!" Ichigo shouted, prompting Nel to pout.

"So Itsygo thinks Nel is disgusting?" Nel pouted as she turned her back to Ichigo.

'_Dammit!' _Ichigo thought in annoyance.

"N-no, no, of course not Nel. What was I talking about, that's not gross." Ichigo replied, treading carefully so as to not hurt Nel's feelings.

"Then why doesn't Itsygo want to see Nel's powers?" Nel questioned, sending Ichigo a death glare.

"W-well you see… I just don't want you to waste it and tire yourself out is all." Ichigo replied in a shaky tone, prompting Nel to entrap Ichigo in another death hug.

"That's so nice of Itsygo to think about Nel like that!" Nel cried as she began to swing Ichigo from side to side in her grip.

'_Well at least I'm used to this to the point where I can breathe.' _Ichigo thought, deciding not to resist Nel's death grip at the risk of upsetting the arrancar once more.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Chambers **_

The members of the Espada sat as Aizen entered the meeting chambers with Ulquiorra, Gin, and Tosen in toe. Each took a seat with the exception of Gin and Tosen who stood at Aizen's side, waiting for the meeting to proceed.

"Greetings my dear Espada, now before the meeting commences let us drink tea." Aizen greeted in a cheerful tone, a smile larger than normal gracing his features.

"Lord Aizen if I may ask, why is it that this meeting was so abruptly called?" Starrk questioned, noticing Aizen's cheery demeanor.

"Why I'm glad you asked Starrk…" Aizen began in a tone of amusement, confusing many members of the Espada.

"You are all aware of the presence of Orihime Inoue in Las Noches and the power that her abilities hold." Aizen continued, getting nods from various members of the Espada.

"A few days ago I had Ulquiorra deliver a message to the Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen stated, causing each and every member of the Espada to suddenly become interested in the happenings of the meeting, either out of interest, or out of hope that they would get to kill something.

'_Please reveal the plan, please reveal the plan.' _Gin chanted in thought, while remaining outwardly calm and impassive.

"The boy was informed that we had taken the girl and brought her here to Las Noches. He was asked to arrive here in a period of three days upon entering Las Noches via a garganta, which Szayel was so kind to provide." Aizen continued, prompting a realization to hit Szayel, but causing the other Espada to grow confused.

'_I was ever so curious as to why he had me make that ridiculous contraption.' _Szayel thought as he realized what purpose the device served.

"What device was this Lord Aizen?" Halibel asked, voicing the thoughts of the other Espada.

"The device was something that would open up a Garganta at a chosen location whilst simultaneously reassuring that once a being entered it, the Garganta would close and the device would disappear. Oddly enough, it also masked the spiritual pressure of the wearer, something that confused me greatly when it was requested that I create it." Szayel explained, causing even more questions to be raised at the situation.

"The question you should be asking Lord Aizen is why go to such trouble." Szayel stated.

"Well Szayel, the boy did in fact enter Las Noches as I was informed of the devices activation. He is in fact nearing the entrance of Las Noches as we speak." Aizen replied, shocking the group of Espada, with the exception of Ulquiorra who knew what had occurred thus far.

"Why bring the boy here?" Starrk asked, still not getting that part.

"The plan was quite simple, I desire to speak with the boy, and therefore Orihime's kidnapping had a double purpose." Aizen began, glancing at Gin whose eyebrow twitched.

'_I knew it!' _Gin thought as he tried to stop himself from screaming his thought at the top of his lungs.

"He was told that if he did not comply she would die, if he told anyone where he was going then she would die, if he did not make it here in a three day period then she would die. These conditions essentially assured the boy's cooperation." Aizen explained.

"That's all well and good Lord Aizen…" Szayel interrupted, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"But I can't help but notice that you haven't quite answered the Primera's question." Szayel continued, causing Aizen's smirk to increase in size.

"Oh, I would think his being forced here would be rather obvious… I intend for the boy to join us." Aizen replied, causing each and every Espada's eyes to widen in shock, even Ulquiorra who had no idea of this part of the plan.

"You can't be serious Lord Aizen!" Grimmjow exclaimed, getting up from his seat and slamming his hands on the table at the news.

"Although I won't be as uncouth as Grimmjow… I do believe that the boy has proven to be quite a trouble maker. After all, he did kill Patros without the use of his Bankai." Szayel argued, his point reflecting the beliefs of several of the Espada.

"Oh the boy is beyond a threat Szayel, in fact he has recently dispatched of the guardian of the Menos Forest alongside a majority of his hollow army." Aizen stated, shocking the Espada further.

'_What?' _Everyone in the room save Aizen thought similarly.

"If the boy is as dangerous as you say, and the fact that he is a Soul Reaper, how is it that you expect his to join us?" Szayel questioned, sending a slight glare at Aizen.

"Willingly of course." Aizen replied, his smirk of content never fading.

"I beg your pardon Lord Aizen, but having encountered the boy, I would have to conclude that the likelihood of his joining us is quite low." Ulquiorra respectfully commented, recalling the brief fight the boy had put up when he was told of Orihime's kidnapping.

"We have Orihime Inoue. If he came all this way to save her, regardless of his reasons, then allowing the girl to die due to his actions is something he clearly will not allow." Halibel reasoned, backing up Aizen's logic.

"Yeah, but the question is will the kid really listen." Starrk thought aloud.

"Regardless of how you feel about my plan and what my intentions are, the boy is not to be touched upon his arrival to Las Noches." Aizen stated in a tone of finality, staring at Grimmjow and Nnoitora whom he expected to make a scene.

"I won't stand for this! Even if he joins I refuse to accept another Soul Reaper as a comrade!" Nnoitora shouted out of rage.

'_They never seem to learn.' _Aizen thought in amusement as he prepared to make an example out of Nnoitora's outburst.

"Now Nnoitora, I must have heard you incorrectly…" Aizen began, his tone threatening and ominous, prompting everyone in the room to realize that this was not negotiable.

"You wouldn't be going against my orders, because that would indeed be a shame." Aizen continued, bringing his spiritual pressure down on Nnoitora like a ton of bricks, sending the Espada crashing to the floor for a brief second before letting up a moment later.

"Oh and Nnoitora, I have taken notice that Ichigo Kurosaki has found some… company, during his travels. He seems to have stumbled upon a group of arrancar. Oddly enough, one of them is a small child who calls herself Nel Tu from what I've observed." Aizen stated causing Nnoitora's and Szayel's eyes to widen in both fear and shock.

"Don't you think it odd that she resembles a childlike form of someone that I once knew? Her mask seems to have changed though…" Aizen trailed off.

'_What the hell is going on?' _Everyone else in the room thought similarly.

'_He can't possibly know.' _Szayel thought in disbelief, but the look Aizen was giving him told him something else entirely.

"The skull mask, green hair, and even the appearance of the other two arrancar that follow her seem to be familiar to me." Aizen continued with a knowing grin.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but regardless Ichigo's company shall not be harmed as well, despite some… feelings of resentment towards them." Aizen said, sending a glare at Nnoitora and Szayel respectively.

"Now do any of the rest of you have an opinion on Ichigo Kurosaki joining us?" Aizen questioned, as if daring any of the other Espada to make a comment.

"Hahahahahaha… no Lord Aizen, you've made your orders quite clear and I for one have no intentions of disobeying." Szayel replied with a grin of his own etched on his face, causing Aizen's smirk to return.

"Very good, you are dismissed." Aizen stated, prompting the Espada to leave the room.

"Ulquiorra would you be so kind as to greet our… guests… at the gate once they arrive?" Aizen asked, prompting Ulquiorra to respectfully bow.

"Of course Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied before using sonido to head for the gates.

"Well, well, Lord Aizen. Don't you think it may be a bit of a stretch to have another Soul Reaper join us?" Gin asked, his grin even wider than normal due to his being right about Orihime.

"I never said anything about a Soul Reaper joining us Gin." Aizen replied cryptically, a smile of content etched on his face as he exited the meeting room.

'_What the hell?' _Gin thought angrily, not appreciating the lack of knowledge on his part.

"Gin, are you alright?" Tosen asked.

"Why do you ask?" Gin questioned through gritted teeth.

"Your spiritual pressure fluctuated just now." Tosen explained.

"I'm fine… now if you'll excuse me." Gin said as he exited the throne room.

"I wonder what that was abou…" Tosen said aloud before a ridiculously loud sound interrupted him.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Gin screamed from outside the meeting chambers.

'_I wonder what kind of a hobby I'll have to take up once my plan comes to fruition.' _Aizen thought as the echoes of Gin's scream reached him.

"Gin, was that you?" Tosen questioned as he exited the throne room.

"How could you tell?" Gin asked in a sarcastic tone.

"I am blind not deaf." Tosen replied in all seriousness.

_**Urahara's Shop: Yoruichi's Room**_

"Yoruichi, I've almost finished calibrating the senkaimon and we should be able to travel to the Soul Society within the hour." Urahara said as he entered Yoruichi's room.

"That's good to hear." Yoruichi replied in an emotionless voice.

'_Well I guess I'd have to get her to talk eventually… may as well be now.' _Urahara reasoned in thought.

'_Although if I end up making her upset…' _Urahara thought, grimacing at the unpleasant memory of being kicked in a very, very, sensitive area.

"Something else you need Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked, noticing that he had been standing in the doorway for at least a minute.

"Yoruichi…" Urahara began in a serious tone, deciding to go with his gut.

"If Ichigo isn't in the Soul Society… I need to know what level your… feelings to him are at. More importantly I need to know if you'll be able to handle it if we found something that we don't want to hear abou…" Urahara said before being cut off.

"Don't bring those thoughts into my head Kisuke!" Yoruichi screamed, getting up from her seat on the bed as she did so.

'_This isn't good.' _Urahara thought as covered the area he expected Yoruichi would target.

'_Wait what?' _Urahara thought as he saw Yoruichi's expression sadden as she sat back down on her bed.

"I-I'm sorry… Kisuke." Yoruichi replied in a low voice, just above a whisper.

"Yoruichi… what is Ichigo to you?" Urahara questioned, trying to choose his words carefully.

"If we're going to have this talk now Kisuke…" Yoruichi began, turning her head to Urahara and giving him a glare that sent a chill down his spine.

"Then I would suggest that you choose your words wisely." Yoruichi warned, causing Urahara's skin to pale slightly.

"I-I uhhh would n-never ever make fun of you Yoruichi." Urahara stuttered out, grimacing at what Yoruichi would do if she was truly angry with him.

"Good." Yoruichi replied.

'_Well I guess I had to talk sometime…' _Yoruichi reasoned in thought as she released a sigh.

"Well… to be honest Kisuke, I don't really know what he is to me." Yoruichi replied in an uncharacteristically sad tone.

"Then if you can't tell me exactly what he is to you, then tell me how he became… whatever he is to you." Urahara said, stifling a grin at seeing that Yoruichi seemed to have feelings for her student.

"I guess in order to explain why I feel the way I do about him, I'd have to say that the basis was when we were in our old training area during our mission to the Soul Society." Yoruichi began.

"At first, it was just infinite amounts of fun to tease him because of the way his face lit up whenever he saw me naked." Yoruichi said, smiling at the memory of the hot springs and when she revealed herself to Ichigo.

'_Don't say a thing, don't say a thing. If you value your manhood don't say a damn thing.' _Urahara said as he stifled the onslaught of jokes that popped into his head.

"Moving on." Urahara said, his voice cracking as he did so.

"Oh, sorry…" Yoruichi said as she rubbed the back of her head, having gotten lost in her memories.

"After that, I guess I just admired what kind of a person he is… I mean one side is an immature kid who refuses to listen to his teacher." Yoruichi said through gritted teeth as she recalled an injured Ichigo disobeying her orders by leaving to rescue Rukia.

"At the same time though, he is brave, compassionate, and he would gladly lay his life down if it meant that he could save the ones he cared about." Yoruichi continued, smiling pleasantly at Ichigo's numerous good qualities.

"During the week that I trained him while you were gone, I teased him in the same manner I always have but somehow through it all, I guess you could say that I learned something about what he thought of me, and when he admitted those things to me I felt… happy, even if I can't quite explain it." Yoruichi said, giving off a dazed smile.

"What exactly did he tell you?" Urahara said through gritted teeth, practically killing himself by not saying any jokes about her and Ichigo.

"Well, after Ichigo beat me in that game of tag for a day off…" Yoruichi began, checking to see if Urahara was about to laugh at her being beaten by Ichigo due to being called gorgeous.

"How exactly did he win again?" Urahara asked, mentally slapping himself at his lack of self-control.

"He called me gorgeous and I was so stunned by it that I momentarily paused and he tagged me. Do you find that funny Kisuke?" Yoruichi said in a warning tone while giving Urahara a death glare.

"N-not at all…c-co-continue please." Urahara stuttered out, trying his best not to laugh.

"Anyway I was a… little… upset at the way he won because I… may have been, just a little bit, disappointed that he seemed to have said that just to win the game." Yoruichi continued, checking to see if Urahara was giving off any indication of laughing.

"After that, I beat the crap out of him and even with how dense he is, he caught on to the fact that I was angry. He asked me what was wrong, and long story short he admitted to me that he thought I actually was attractive and that he never meant to hurt me." Yoruichi said, noticeably blushing as she recalled the feeling she got when Ichigo admitted that to her.

"During the day off, I offered to take him to the hot springs that we have in the training grounds, something I thought would be funny because I expected him to spaz at my suggestion…" Yoruichi began.

"He however seemed to have forgotten what happened… so I decided to remind him." Yoruichi continued, a mischievous smirk gracing her features.

"So I went down there and teased him, but he ended up admitting, probably absentmindedly, that he actually liked my body." Yoruichi stated, stopping as she noticed the pained expression on Urahara's face.

"So you and Ichigo were alone… you were naked… and he admitted he liked your body?" Urahara asked, clearly struggling to contain himself.

"Yes, why do you ask Kisuke? Could it be that you have a comment?" Yoruichi asked in a warning tone that made Urahara reconsider his decision to continue.

"Nope, not a one." Urahara replied, balling his fist in an attempt to lessen his annoyance with not being able to joke about this.

"Good… so he ended up leaving after that and as you know we watched a few movies because we had time to kill." Yoruichi continued before being cut off.

"And that's when you pulled a dating trick and picked horror and romance so you could snuggle with your…" Urahara began, making a lovey-dovey face as he did so, only to stop upon noticing Yoruichi's glare.

"Ehem… sorry, continue." Urahara said as he regained control over his urge to mess with Yoruichi.

"Anyway… when we were, as you say, snuggling, I purposefully made a lame excuse during the romance movie and I'll even admit I was slightly worried that he would push me away like he always does when I tease him… but much to my surprise he said he had no issues with me snuggling into his shoulder." Yoruichi stated, smiling at the memory.

"I fell asleep and Ichigo carried me to my room…" Yoruichi said before being cut off.

"That wouldn't have been bridal style would it?" Urahara teased, paling as Yoruichi sent him another glare.

"Actually yes, anything to say?" Yoruichi asked, prompting Urahara to shake his head.

"I woke up as he walked up the steps and when he dropped me on my bed, well I don't know what came over me. All I know is that I wanted Ichigo to be there next to me that night… so I grabbed him and once again he surprised me by staying with me." Yoruichi continued.

"I remember waking up in the middle of the night as we lay there, our bodies so close together and our legs intertwined. I looked up at him and smiled… I just felt… I just felt happy." Yoruichi said, smiling brightly as she remembered the feeling.

"I see…" Urahara quietly responded.

"That's all you got?" Yoruichi asked with a raised brow.

"Well I have an idea of what you are going through… but it's too soon given the fact that ironically enough Ichigo is the first guy you've shown any actual interest in." Urahara replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Kisuke… I just want to thank you… you've been like my big brother for as long as I can remember… thank you for being such a good friend." Yoruichi said, smiling softly at Urahara, who returned the gesture.

"You've been like a little sister to me Yoruichi, and I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you… and in all honesty it is I who should be glad to have a friend like you." Urahara replied in all seriousness.

"That's sweet Kisuke… now because you were so well behaved, I will allow you one joke." Yoruichi said, deciding to throw him a bone.

"So when are you and Ichigo going to lose your virginities to one another?" Urahara teased, unfortunately saying the one thing Yoruichi did not want to hear.

"Ah!" Urahara yelped in a high pitched voice as a foot once more connected with his sensitive area.

"What was that for Yoruichi, you said I could have one joke?" Urahara whined, releasing large amounts of overdramatic tears as he rolled around in a fetal position.

"Whether or not Ichigo and I end up together… that doesn't mean what I would do with him is any of your business." Yoruichi replied in a cold tone, a light but unnoticeable blush adorning her face.

"Now come on, we need to get going." Yoruichi stated before she began to drag Urahara to the training grounds.

_**Las Noches: Enterance**_

"Itsygo!' Nel shouted, waking Ichigo up from his current nap.

"Yeah Nel, what is it?" Ichigo asked tiredly while rubbing his eyes.

"We're here Itsygo." Nel chirped as Ichigo woke up.

'_Finally… at least I made it in time.' _Ichigo thought as he released a sigh of relief.

"So this is the entrance to Las Noches." Ichigo though aloud as he gazed upon the massive gate that appeared to be at the center of one of the four wall segments that made up the area of the palace.

"Nel, thanks for your help but it's time for me to leave." Ichigo said as he got off Bawabawa and headed towards the gate.

"If Itsygo thinks he is going to leave Nel all alone out here than Itsygo is crazy." Nel stated as she jumped on Ichigo's back.

"Nel, you really shouldn't co…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"Nel wants to be with Itsygo because Itsygo protected Nel and now Nel doesn't feel safe without Itsygo." Nel sobbed out, releasing a torrent of overdramatic tears as she did so.

"Alright, I guess I really don't have any problems with that… just don't get lost, okay?" Ichigo sighed, accepting that he would never be able to get rid of Nel if she didn't want to be away from him.

"Don't forget about us, you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka said as he and Pesche came up from behind the two.

"Yeah, If Nel is going then we're going too." Pesche declared.

"Alright you two, but stay close." Ichigo ordered.

"Wait, wait, wait, where did Bawabawa go?" Ichigo asked noticing that the large arrancar was nowhere to be seen.

'_Dammit need a good excuse.' _Dondochakka and Pesche thought in a panic.

"Oh uhhhh, Bawabawa can dig himself into the sand and he-he'll be here when we get out… yeah that's it, he'll be here when we get out." Dondochakka explained in a shaky tone.

"Itsygo." Nel said from her position on his back, distracting Ichigo from his skepticism.

"Yeah, what is it?" Ichigo asked.

"Go faster!" Nel shouted as she pointed to the front of the gate.

"Wait a minute I'm not giving you a piggyback ride." Ichigo complained, prompting Nel to send him a glare, even if he couldn't see it.

"Itsygo doesn't want to make Nel sad dos he?" Nel pouted, prompting Ichigo to sigh and run as fast as he could towards the gate, followed by Pesche and Dondochakka.

_**Several Minutes Later… **_

"That was fun Itsygo!" Nel chirped, jumping up and down after Ichigo had placed her on the ground in front of the gate.

"You two could have slowed down for us." Pesche complained as he and Dondochakka arrived at the front of the gate a few moments later.

"Quit complaining, at the moment I need to figure out how to open the ga…" Ichigo said before the sound of the gate opening interrupted him.

'_Guess if they were expecting me…' _Ichigo reasoned in thought as the massive gate spread open, revealing a familiar arrancar to be standing at the entrance.

"You." Ichigo spat as he glared at Ulquiorra.

"Yes, it is indeed me Ichigo Kurosaki. Now come, you are expected by Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra stated as he began to survey the group.

'_That childlike arrancar must've been the one Lord Aizen had mentioned… her description matches that which Lord Aizen gave.' _Ulquiorra thought as his eyes came to Nel and her brothers, all of whom where gasping and pointing shaky fingers at Ulquiorra.

"That's the Quarto Espada, Master Ulquiorra Cifer." Nel cried out, extremely terrified of the arrancar.

"From your reaction it appears that you are afraid, but you have no need to be…" Ulquiorra began, causing Nel and her brothers to grow confused.

"Lord Aizen has ordered that you and your… companions… not be touched during your stay. I am merely here to escort you." Ulquiorra explained.

"Now if you'll please follow me, Lord Aizen…" Ulquiorra began before being cut off.

"I'm here and now I demand to see Orihime before I even consider speaking with Aizen." Ichigo stated in a tone of finality.

"I had thought as much… but I suppose that a bargain is indeed a bargain…" Ulquiorra trailed off.

"I have been authorized to show you that we have indeed kept our end of the deal and that the girl is indeed quite alive. Now follow me." Ulquiorra said, turning around a she finished.

"Let's go you three." Ichigo ordered as he began to walk after Ulquiorra, followed shortly by Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka.

"So you're the Quarto huh?" Ichigo asked, making idle conversation as the group walked the halls of Las Noches.

"Yes, of all the Espada my power is ranked fourth." Ulquiorra replied.

"So, where is it that you believe your power fall on the spectrum of Soul Repapers?" Ulquiorra asked, equally as curious as to the power of the boy.

"Well… I really haven't fought all of the captains, but I've beaten two or three of the stronger captains." Ichigo replied absentmindedly.

The group walked in awkward silence for several more corridors, nearing Orihime's room as they continued to walk.

"I feel compelled to ask you this…" Ulquiorra began, breaking the awkward silence.

"Why is it that you have come here?" Ulquiorra asked, curious as to what his answer would be.

"That seems a bit ridiculous of you to ask… I came here because of Orihime." Ichigo replied, as if the answer was obvious.

"That much I can tell… but why go to such lengths for one person… you were intelligent enough to get out of the Menos Forest and nearly land a blow on me when we first fought… so I assume that you realize as long as she remains you do as well." Ulquiorra replied.

"So that begs the question, are you a fool, or a fool with a purpose?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I happen to be neither of the two… just a fool who protects the things that matter most to him." Ichigo stated with conviction, surprising Ulquiorra slightly.

No conversation followed as the group neared Orihime's room, stopping directly in front of the door.

"We are here, Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra stated before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" Orihime asked from behind the door.

"Your guest has arrived girl." Ulquiorra replied, prompting Orihime to open the door from the other side.

'_Wonder who it is.' _Orihime thought as she opened the door, only to gasp a second later as she saw who her guest was.

"I-Ichigo." Orihime exclaimed, wondering if what she was seeing was real or not.

"Yeah Orihime, it's me." Ichigo replied in a soft voice.

"P-please come in." Orihime said, trying not to stutter at the sight of the one person she wanted to see more than anything else.

"Uh… who are they?" Orihime asked, confused as she saw three odd arrancar enter the room.

"This is Nel and these are her… ehem… brothers… Pesche and Dondochakka." Ichigo said, pointing to the arrancar as he called out their names.

"Why is that one looking at me like that?" Orihime asked, not comfortable with the glare that Nel was giving her.

"Nel wants to know what your relationship is with Itsygo." Nel replied, causing Orihime to blush profusely at the request.

"W-well I-I ummm… he and I are… ummmm." Orihime rambled, causing Ulquiorra to grow slightly amused.

'_Not good!' _Orihime mentally panicked, her blush increasing as she became more flustered.

"Nel, I told you to drop it." Ichigo said, trying to back Orihime up.

"Humph." Nel grunted out, turning her back to Ichigo.

"Ichigo… I can't believe your actually here." Orihime stated as she regained her composure.

"When I found out that Aizen thought my powers were a threat… I lost all hope that I'd ever see you again… I-I'm just so happy." Orihime said as she began to cry tears of joy.

'_So that's what she was told… better not tell her how they got me here.' _Ichigo thought as he pulled Orihime into an embrace.

"Did Aizen have you use your powers at all?" Ichigo asked, pulling out of the hug so as to face Orihime while still holding her slightly.

"He had me heal the arm of one of the Espada… I think it was the one whose arm you cut off. He said that my ability to heal nearly anything was just too big of an advantage for the Soul Society and said that I would remain here." Orihime replied, causing Pesche's and Dondochakka's eyes to widen in shock, believing that they had gotten a possible opportunity.

'_If she can heal anything…' _Pesche and Dondochakka thought, giving another a look so as to reassure themselves of what they had to do.

"Excuse me, Orihime right?" Pesche asked, deciding to speak for the two.

"Y-yes, what is it?" Orihime asked as she wiped the remaining tears of joy from her face.

"You said you can heal almost anything, right?" Dondochakka asked, becoming deadly serious, something that confused Ichigo.

'_I didn't even know they could be serious.' _Ichigo thought in surprise at the tone the two were using.

"Yes, my healing ability can regenerate mostly anything, provided there is something left of it." Orihime replied.

"Do you think… that you could heal a shattered hollow mask?" Pesche asked his tone full of hope, causing all of the room's occupants other than the two arrancar to grow confused.

"I've never tried but I think I could do it." Orihime replied, tapping her chin in though.

"Why do you ask?" Ichigo questioned in a serious tone, becoming confused as Pesche and Dondochakka nodded to one another.

"Ichigo, it's important for you to know that we aren't Nel's brothers… we are her fraccion." Pesche said, causing Ichigo and Ulquiorra to widen their eyes in shock.

"What did you just say?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"You heard right, we are her fraccion… my full name is Dondochakka Birstanne and his full name is Pesche Guatiche." Dondochakka said, causing Ichigo's confusion to deepen.

"B-but only an Espada can have fraccion… right? And Nel is just a kid." Ichigo said, reinforcing his disbelief.

"Her real name is Mater Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, and she is the former Tercera Espada of Aizen's army." Pesche explained, causing Nel, Ichigo, and Ulquiorra to widen their eyes in shock.

"Th-that's impossible, she's just a kid." Ichigo exclaimed as he pointed a shaking finger at Nel, who looked confused beyond belief.

"Her mask was cracked by Nnoitora Gilga, another member of the Espada who hated Master Nelliel. He tore off our masks in order to goad her and somehow managed to crack her mask. The end result was that the three of use lost our adult forms, and Mater Nelliel lost her memory. Ever since then, we have acted as her brothers." Dondochakka clarified.

'_This is a most interesting development… now at least Lord Aizen's words have meaning behind them.' _Ulquiorra thought as he recalled what he had said to Nnoitora.

"So we ask you Miss Orihime, please heal Mater Nelliel's mask." Pesche pleaded, hoping that she would answer in the affirmative.

"But Pesche, Nel doesn't remember anything." Nel said, as confused as Ichigo at the whole situation.

"Nel, if what they say is true… than that explains a lot… but first, I need to ask you something. If this would turn you back into your true form… do you want that?" Ichigo asked in a soft tone.

"If Nel will get to be with Itsygo then Nel doesn't care." Nel replied in an innocent voice eliciting a nod of understanding from the orange-haired Soul Reaper.

"Orihime… can you please heal her mask?" Ichigo asked in an equally as soft tone as he turned to Orihime.

"Yes Ichigo, of course I will." Orihime replied encasing Nel within a golden shield, beginning to heal the gash on her head.

"The spiritual pressure on the wound has faded greatly so I should be able to regenerate her mask and also heal the scare on her face." Orihime stated as the mask began to heal.

'_This should at least be interesting.' _Ulquiorra reasoned in thought as he watched the child's mask being reformed.

"Just a moment more Nel." Orihime said as the scare on her forehead had completely healed, leaving only a small crack on her mask left.

"Nel feels funny." Nel said as her mask became whole again. Once this happened, a mass of pink smoke appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and engulfed the green-haired child.

"Nel, are you alight?" Ichigo asked with concern as the smoke subsided.

'_What?' _ Ichigo, Orihime, and Ulquiorra thought similarly as they saw the form of the well-developed former Espada. She had long green hair, torn brown clothing that covered her waist and upper legs, as well as most of her upper body. Her eyes were Hazel, and red markings appeared on her face just above her nose and stretched under her eyes. A sword could be seen in a green sheath, appearing to be a standard sized zanpakuto with a light green hilt.

'_That number on her back… she was indeed a member of the Espada… and her spiritual pressure is indeed quite strong, nearly as strong as mine.' _Ulquiorra thought as he observed the number three tattooed on the woman's back.

"Nel?" Ichigo exclaimed as the woman turned to face him, a stoic expression on her face.

"Ichigo!" Nel screamed as she ran over to Ichigo and began to capture him in a death hug. The only difference being that Ichigo was now suffocating between the arrancar's well-endowed chest.

"Nel what are you doing?!" Orihime cried out, a blush on her face as she observed Ichigo's position.

"I'm so happy Ichigo, just so happy!" Nel cried out, tears of joy forming in her hazel eyes.

'_Well that was quite an unexpected turn of events.' _Ulquiorra thought as he released an inaudible chuckle.

"As amusing as this is, I believe I should notify you that you are suffocating him." Ulquiorra pointed out, prompting Nelliel to release Ichigo from her grasp, sending him flying to the floor gasping for air.

"Air… air… need air… couldn't… breathe." Ichigo said through pants, a heavy blush on his face as he was completely aware of what was suffocating him.

"Ichigo." Nelliel said, bringing Ichigo's attention to her.

"Yes Nel?" Ichigo asked, noticing the genuine smile that Nel was sporting as she looked directly into his eyes.

"I may not remember everything from my time out in the desert… but I remember you." Nel began as she walked closer to Ichigo, still staring into his deep brown eyes.

"You saved me more times than I could count… your risked your life for me without even a moment of hesitation… and it is because of you and your friend that I was able to regain my true form. What's more, it didn't matter that I was a hollow and you were a Soul Reaper." Nel continued as she halted directly in front of Ichigo.

"Ichigo… you are the reason that I'm still alive… I'd like to return the favor and never leave your side. I want to protect you and help you the way that you have helped me." Nel stated, her smile increasing in size as she gazed into Ichigo's eyes.

"If you'll let me." Nel added, bringing Ichigo into an embrace as she finished.

"Of course Nel… I have no problems with that." Ichigo replied as a smile formed on his own features.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww." Pesche and Dondochakka cooed simultaneously, causing Nelliel and Ichigo to break from their embrace. Both were blushing slightly having forgotten that others were in the room for the moment.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room **_

"Lord Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions have been brought to the room of Orihime Inoue." Tosen sated as he bowed to Aizen.

"Very good Kaname, I would ask you to send them here to the throne room and have Ulquiorra take the guests to the observation room." Aizen ordered.

"Them, sir?" Tosen asked, unsure of whom Aizen was referring to.

"Yes, I wish to speak to both Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue once they arrive." Aizen clarified, prompting Tosen to flash step away after giving a slight bow.

"Gin." Aizen said, getting the attention of the ever so curious subordinate.

"Yes, Lord Aizen?" Gin asked in an innocent tone.

"Gather the Espada and take them to the observation room… the time will soon come for my plan to be fully revealed." Aizen stated, not missing the look of anticipation that Gin sported as he finished.

"If nothing else the conversation we will have should be… entertaining." Aizen said as Gin left the room.

"Oh goody, entertainment." Gin chirped as he exited the room to gather the Espada.

"Oh one more thing…" Gin began as he popped his head out of the door's side.

"Yes Gin?" Aizen asked, his ever-present smile still marking his features.

"Are they allowed to bring there fraccion?" Gin questioned, hopeful that the more arrancar in the room the greater the entertainment value.

"I see no reason not to allow this." Aizen answered nonchalantly.

"Then I'll be on my way Lord Aizen." Gin stated before flash stepping away to do as he was asked.

_**Las Noches: Orihime's Room **_

"Orihime… I'm sorry to ask this, but may you do something else for me?" Nel asked, looking at the redheaded human girl.

"W-what do you need me to do?" Orihime asked.

"Can you heal the masks of my fraccion? Both of their masks were torn off when I was attacked by Nnoitora Gilga, and I just want them to be as they once were." Nel said sadly.

"Of course I can, just give me a moment." Orihime replied, setting up her shields around Pesche and Dondochakka.

"Thank you for this… we will never be able to repay you for your kindness." Pesche said as both he and Dondochakka took off their fake masks and placed them by their sides.

"If there is anything you ever need us to do… just name it and we'll help you out, you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka piped in.

"Just stand still, your masks are already starting to reform." Orihime said, noticing the mask fragments becoming whole again.

Like it did with Nel's transformation, smoke began to surround the two. The sole difference being that this smoke was gray in color. As the smoke subsided two relatively tall Numeros class arrancar could be seen, zanpakuto and all.

Pesche now had long straight blond hair that stretched to the middle of his back. A standard sized zanpakuto with a light purple grip could be seen at his side within a dark purple sheath. His skin had become white, giving him the appearance of a human, and his mask covered the left side of his face, covering his eye but stopping just above his mouth and extending slightly down his neck. The mask itself was gray in color, and standard in appearance. Pesche's eyes took the color of yellow on the side covered by his mask, and sage for his uncovered eye.

Dondochakka's appearance was no less an improvement. His hair was short and black, only slightly touching his shoulders, and his skin was a slightly darker shade of white, appearing more-tan than that of Pesche's. He was larger than Pesche and his sword took on the appearance of a slightly longer than normal zanpakuto with jagged edges and a yellow grip. His sword appeared in a sheath which was on his left hip, light yellow in color. His mask took the appearance of a battle helmet that encircled the back of his head and covered the sides of his skull, leaving his face visible, and his hair able to escape through the tiny creases on the sides of the helmet. His eyes were a deep brown, and radiated loyalty.

"Lady Orihime… thank you…for what you have done here today." Pesche solemnly said, still having the same voice as before the healing of his mask.

"That goes double for me. You know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka piped in, equally as thankful as Pesche and like him having an unchanged voice.

"Pesche, Dondochakka… I can't believe that after all this time… it's really you." Nel exclaimed as she gazed upon her fraccion's true forms for the first time in many years.

"We are here to serve you Master Nel." Pesche and Dondochakka said simultaneously as they kneeled before the green-haired former Espada.

"Ichigo Kurosaki… we would gladly dedicate our lives to helping you just as Master Nel has… without you this would not be possible." Pesche stated, still in a kneeling position.

"I don't want you to dedicate anything for my sake. I don't want any servants, but if you want to be friends… that I will gladly accept." Ichigo replied with a slight smile.

'_If ever there was a perfect person… this is him…' _Nel and Orihime thought similarly, smiling at Ichigo's reply.

"This is quite an interesting turn of events." Ulquiorra commented as he stared at the former Espada and her fraccion with interest.

"Who exactly are you?" Nel questioned, becoming serious once more.

"You seemed to know my name when you were a child. How much is it that you have retained from your… journey?" Ulquiorra asked in his forever emotionless voice.

"I remember my time since I met Ichigo… that is about it… but I do believe I remember calling you by your name… what was it?" Nel replied, tapping her chin as she tried to remember the Espada's name.

"I will save you the trouble. My name is Ulquiorra Cifer and I am the Cuarto Espada." Ulquiorra stated.

"Getting back on track, you are to see Lord Aizen now, Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra stated as he turned to face Ichigo, causing Nel to narrow her eyes at the green eyed Espada.

"Actually Ulquiorra…" Tosen began from the doorway, getting everyone's attention.

"Lord Aizen has requested the presence of both Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue." Tosen finished.

"Why exactly does Aizen want her there?" Ichigo asked defensively as he narrowed his eyes at Tosen.

"I can understand your need to be cautious given the circumstances that brought you here, but I myself do not know." Tosen replied.

'_Circumstances?' _Orihime thought in confusion, having realized that she did not ask Ichigo why exactly he was here.

"Ichigo, what circumstances is he talking about?" Orihime asked, not getting what the former Soul Reaper captain was referring to.

'_Although it would be interesting to see him struggle…' _Ulquiorra thought as he debated whether or not to spare Ichigo from explaining what had happened.

"Lord Aizen will most likely explain once you arrive, however I advise that you not keep him waiting." Ulquiorra replied, deciding that a lengthy explanation on Ichigo's part would likely lead to a delay in their arrival to speak with Aizen.

"I'm coming to." Nel abruptly declared.

"Us to." Pesche and Dondochakka said in unison.

"I am afraid that Lord Aizen wishes to speak to them alone, you three along with Ulquiorra are to go to the observation room where you will be able to view the conversation." Tosen replied, prompting Nel to glare at him dangerously.

"Nel…" Ichigo began as he put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop glaring at Tosen.

"It's fine. Just… go with them… for me." Ichigo said in a pleading tone. Nel gave a small smile and nodded.

"Very well, now if you'll be so kind as to leave your sword in the room we ca…" Tosen said before being cut off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you really expect me to walk into the same room as Aizen unarmed?" Ichigo exclaimed, obviously believing this to be a trap.

"As a matter of fact I do, now leave your sword or it will be forcibly taken." Tosen replied, prompting Nel to place her hand on the hilt of her sword as she glared at the blind man, her fraccion following her lead shortly after.

'_Dammit… I just know I'm going to regret this… just hope I live long enough so that I can.' _Ichigo thought in frustration as he stabbed his sword into the floor of the room and followed Tosen without uttering another word.

"Wait for me Ichigo!" Orihime cried out as she ran to catch up to the two, leaving Nel and her fraccion still in the room with Ulquiorra.

"We were told to go to the observation room, so I would ask that you follow me." Ulquiorra said as he turned to face the three arrancar, who still had their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Do not worry…" Ulquiorra began, causing Nel to drop her death glare and look at him.

"I highly doubt that any harm will come to the boy." Ulquiorra reassured, bringing Nel some source of comfort.

"Now we must be on our way." Ulquiorra said before leaving the room, Nel and her fraccion in toe.

'_I have a bad feeling about this.' _Nel thought before leaving the room and following Ulquiorra.

'_If all of the Espada are in the same room… then Master Nel is likely to run into Nnoitora.' _Pesche and Dondochakka thought with worry as they realized the likelihood of a conflict between the two.

_**Soul Society: Other end of Urahara's Senkaimon**_

"Ah! It feels so good to be back in the Seireitei." Yoruichi stated as she exited the Senkaimon, Urahara in toe.

"I'd enjoy being her more if I wasn't currently trying not to puke my guts out." Urahara grumbled, earning a glare from Yoruichi.

"You should have restrained yourself." Yoruichi replied, causing Urahara to grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Alright, I guess we should ask Soifon since I'd assume the head of the stealth force would know if Ichigo were in the Soul Society." Yoruichi reasoned, eliciting a nod of agreement from Urahara before they both Flash Stepped towards the second division barracks.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd**__** Division Barracks (Moments Later)**_

"Feels odd being in this barracks without my captain's haori, even after all these years." Yoruichi commented idly as she entered the barracks.

"We seem to have company." Urahara stated right before the two were surrounded by a large man with a lieutenant's badge and a company of stealth force squad members.

"Halt! Who goes there?" Omaeda bellowed, drawing his zanpakuto to seem more threatening.

"I am Yoruichi Shihoin, this is Kisuke Urahara, and we are here to speak to Captain Soifon." Yoruichi answered, prompting all of the stealth force squad members to panic.

"I'm so sorry mam! If I had known it was you, I would have never even considered drawing my blade." Omaeda shouted, bowing one his knees repeatedly to the Flash Goddess, along with the other squad members.

"Please don't tell the captain!" Omaeda begged, fear dominant in his voice.

"Looks like my little bee speaks of me often." Yoruichi stated, a grin of mild content etched on her face.

"You'll have to forgive me but the captain is at a meeting and she said that it was incredibly important." Omaeda said, still in a bowed position.

"All the more reason for us to crash the meeting." Urahara chirped before using flash step to head over to the squad one meeting room, shortly followed by Yoruichi.

'_What the hell just happened?' _The squad members wondered confusedly, trying to make sense of the two showing up and leaving without an explanation.

_**Outside the Throne Room of Las Noches**_

"We have arrived at the doors to the throne room." Tosen said as he stopped in front of a large door.

Tosen opened the colossal gate, allowing Ichigo and Orihime to enter before following them inside. The three stepped towards the throne and stopped directly in front of it. The first sight that greeted them was Aizen with unmistakable look of content etched on his face, annoying Ichigo to no end.

"Welcome to Las Noches, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen greeted as Ichigo stopped in front of the throne.

**A/N You see my point about the cliffhanger, couldn't really leave you guys hanging in the wind for a week just thinking about what happens when Aizen and Ichigo talk. The next update will be Tuesday and it will hopefully not interfere with my vacation (Meaning it won't so don't worry) **

**BleachFan21**: Glad you liked it! I tried to be a little funny with it despite the seriousness of the situation. Well, I can only hope that when the role of Ichigo's hollow is revealed people won't see it coming, for better or for worse, either way I guarantee I will have to do some clarifying. Also for your question on Yoruichi, yes she is but I assume you want to know what my reasoning is. _**READ THIS FOR EXPLANATION ON YORUICHI BEING A VIRGIN**_. Okay, so Yoruichi was likely a child when she first entered the Soul Society, as evident by her and Urahara meeting and children. Before becoming clan head, she was likely the primary heir. I don't know about your opinion, but to me they make it seem as if the Soul Society's nobility functions much the same as the nobility of medieval Europe or something along those lines (clearly a different culture but you get the point). As a result, since Yoruichi was by all means royalty on some level, she was likely not allowed to really date, though she most likely had suitors. I picture this as being, married first, sex later. This is likely how nobility goes in the Soul Society, the bride remains "pure", at least for nobles. As for Yoruichi liking to tease people, that is in my opinion just part of her personality, which fits considering she doesn't like nobility or the way they act, something that shows. Even when she became clan head, she was not married, and she was a Soul Reaper captain, not much time or ability to date or anything along those lines. After leaving the Soul Society, the only men she really had to choose from were Urahara, and Tessai, both of which are quite a bit of a stretch mostly because of the fact that they live together. I don't care who you are but living with an ex… not going to work out.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: I know exactly how you feel man. I seriously debated if I wanted him actually dead or not. I thought the way I did it was fitting if he was ever going to die, but I still somewhat regret it since I like his character. He reminds me a bit of Ichigo.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Well… that is something I can't give away since we're so lose to revealing what will happen, how it will happen, and why things won't go exactly as they were supposed to.

**sami217**: Thanks! Really happy people don't hate me for killing off Ashido.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Hope you don't hate me again for lying, but given how this chapter ended can you blame me? Also in regards to Halibel… MAYBE ;) they will do more than "interact".

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: I agree with the fact that it would have been cool, but complicated. Well, the curiosity continues, and you find out next chapter. See how nice I am by not posting this on Tuesday and then making you wait another week? ^^

**friaku**: Yeah, in that way he reminds me of Ichigo. I liked how I wrote it but I was a little iffy on how everyone would react to it, overall it seems positive.

**EyeHeartOC's**: I try :) Also now you don't have to wait, and on top of that I don't leave you with the cliffhanger of this chapter for a whole week.

**eragonfan117**: Thanks, hope you like this chapter as well.

**Mas2009**: Thankfully this is not as bluntly stated as the other "critique" I received so I thank you for not dropping the F bomb every other word like the other guy did, but here it goes! I do apologize if to you the last two chapters felt to filler-esque. The role of the last two chapters though was to introduce Nel, and allow more time for other events to unfurl while keeping the reader entertained with fighting. If I didn't add these two chapters in, the flow of the story would have been greatly diminished. By this I mean A happened and then two seconds later B happened. Plus in a few chapters you will find out why I didn't have Aizen just drag Ichigo into the throne room without giving him a choice.

**QuesWexQuas**: I assume you play DOTA 2 as Invoker ^^, either way here goes on your reviews. Overall I guess I just have to say thanks! As for your question about Nel. At this point yes she is an adult, but for the harem list, that is a dearly kept secret that will be revealed at some point in the future and is likely subject to little change at this point, but hopefully people will like it.

**TheEvilEye**: Well now you know he wants Ichigo to join him, as for what happens next… not telling, even if you might be able to guess :P

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks, hopefully it wasn't too OOC, but either way any pairings in Bleach make it NOT CANON, which is somewhat bothersome to me even if the manga/anime is quite good in my mind. Hope you like this chapter, and all the one's to come. Also, she's not "madly in love" at the moment, she doesn't know what she is, nor will I tell you, who knows, she may not even really be "in love" with Ichigo ;P


	15. A Plan Unfolds

**A/N For those of you who are wondering I am having a wonderful vacation, and I will return next Saturday, after which I will start on the next chapters. this chapter is a bit shorten than the preceding three but its more a lead up to what will start next chapter. **

**Chapter 15 **

_**Outside the Throne Room of Las Noches**_

"We have arrived at the doors to the throne room." Tosen said as he stopped in front of a large door.

Tosen opened the colossal gate, allowing Ichigo and Orihime to enter before following them inside. The three stepped towards the throne and stopped directly in front of it. As they saw Aizen an unmistakable look of content was etched on his face, annoying Ichigo to no end.

"Welcome to Las Noches Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen greeted as Ichigo stopped in front of the throne.

_**Observation Room (With Gin and the arrancar)**_

"This is stupid, why the hell do we have to be here?" Apacci complained.

"Quit complaining so much Apacci." Mila Rose stated, annoyed with her fellow fraccion's griping.

"What are you gonna do if I don't?!" Apacci exclaimed, butting heads with Mila Rose as she did so.

"Must you two embarrass Lady Halibel?" Sung-Sun chided, much to the annoyance of the two arrancar who were presently fighting.

"Stay out of this Sung-Sun!" Apacci and Mila Rose shouted in unison.

"My, my, you really have your work cut out for you with those three Halibel." Gin commented, releasing a chuckle as he was met with Halibel's glare.

"Why lowly fraccion were even allowed to come to this viewing I shall never understand." Barragan commented in his usual gruff, aged voice.

"Hey, I resent that!" Lilynette exclaimed, causing Starrk to sigh.

"Don't you start." Starrk said lazily, prompting Lilynette to turn her annoyance towards Starrk.

'_Dammit.' _Starrk though as Lilynette began to glare at him.

"Why the hell aren't you defending me you lazy ass?!" Lilynette roared, clubbing Starrk upside the head as she did so.

"Don't worry Lilynette, and if you want to know why fraccion are here I asked if they could attend and Lord Aizen said yes." Gin stated, grinning like a madman as he could just feel the glare coming from Barragan.

"Besides, the more the merrier!" Gin chirped, causing Starrk to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"You seem happy, any reason why?" Starrk asked, having recovered from Lilynette's punch.

"Oh, nothing much… just looking forward to the entertainment value this conversation should provide." Gin replied, his grin growing as he finished.

"It would appear that the boy is entering." Halibel commented upon seeing the doors to the throne room open.

"If you ask me we, should just kill the kid and be done with it." Nnoitora stated, a sickening grin etched on his face.

"Lay one hand on him and you will have finally given me a reason to end your miserable existence." Nel stated as she entered the room, much to the shock of everyone present. She was currently sending a glare at Nnoitora that could freeze lava.

"What the hell is she doing here?!" Nnoitora roared in anger as he saw the one person he hated more than anyone else for the first time since he threw her down into the deserts.

"Lord Aizen has requested that these three watch the ongoing conversation with the rest of us." Ulquiorra stated, ignoring Nnoitora's obvious rage.

"I won't stand for this!" Nnoitora shouted as he made to grab the grip of his, fueled only by hatred, only to cease his would-be attack when Gin grabbed his hand, preventing him from striking.

"Now, now, Nnoitora, I don't think that Lord Aizen would be very happy to see that you are about to disobey his orders." Gin said, causing Nnoitora to begrudgingly take his hand of his weapon.

'_This isn't over and I will kill you.' _Nnoitora thought in anger as he turned his back to Nelliel and began to watch the screen once more.

"Nelliel…" Gin began, bringing the green-haired woman's attention to him.

"Lord Aizen has asked me to inform you of an offer." Gin stated, causing Nel to raise an eyebrow, obviously being wary given the situation that Ichigo was in.

"What could Aizen possibly offer that would be of interest to me?" Nel questioned in an emotionless tone, her demeanor matching her voice.

"I'm glad you asked Nelliel. You see Lord Aizen will get Ichigo to remain her in Las Noches, one way or another. However, he is willing to guarantee that no harm will come to Ichigo should you… peacefully return to the ranks of his army, along with your fraccion of course." Gin said, surprising Nel.

'_How could Aizen know that I am now like I once was?' _Nel wondered, still keeping her calm demeanor.

"Exactly how was it that Aizen was made aware of my return?" Nel questioned, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"My, my, what an intelligent arrancar we have here… well let me ask you this… regardless of how he knows, are you willing to risk the life of Ichigo Kurosaki on such suspicion?" Gin asked with a knowing grin, only prompting Nel's glare to narrow, as if shooting daggers.

'_I served him once… I suppose I could do it once more.' _Nel thought as she debated her next course of action.

"Very well." Nel silently replied, hanging her head slightly in realization that she would not risk Ichigo's life due to her own suspicion.

"We shall follow you Lady Nelliel." Pesche and Dondochakka said in unison.

"Now if this is over, I'd like to actually hear what they're saying." Starrk stated, causing everyone in the room to cease their prattle.

_**Throne Room of Las Noches**_

"I trust that you've enjoyed your stay in Las Noches thus far?" Aizen asked, his tone a smooth as honey.

"Cut the crap Aizen, I'm in no mood!" Ichigo shouted, not fazing Aizen in the slightest.

"And I would not expect you to be, however you are here just as we agreed, and like I promised she will not be killed." Aizen replied, causing Orihime to gasp.

'_H-he what?" _Orihime thought as she heard Aizen's words.

"Ichigo is that true?" Orihime exclaimed, not wanting to believe that she was the cause of Ichigo being in a place that was, to him, likely the most dangerous he could be in.

"Oh? My mistake, I had thought you told her. Trying to spare her feelings are we?" Aizen taunted lightheartedly, fueling Ichigo's annoyance with the man.

"Oh I'm sure you knew I didn't tell her…" Ichigo began in a sarcastic tone, slightly amusing Aizen.

"Just like I'm sure you don't intend to be such an absolute pain in the ass." Ichigo continued, prompting Aizen to release a light chuckle of amusement.

_**Observation Room **_

"I like this kid." Gin said as Grimmjow and Nnoitora cackled in the background at the display of disrespect.

"Disrespectful brat." Barragan commented, not looking forward to having him as a comrade while simultaneously hoping that Aizen would cut him down for his impudence.

'_Ichigo, what the hell are you doing?' _Nel thought with concern, not letting her worry be visible on her features.

_**Throne Room **_

"Ichigo…" Orihime began in a quiet tone, bringing Ichigo's attention to her.

"Tell me the truth. Are you here because they threatened me?" Orihime ordered.

"Please excuse Ichigo my dear. He simply does not have the heart to tell you that I threatened your well-being in order to get him to speak with me in the comfort of my own palace." Aizen replied, causing Ichigo to scowl at him.

"Most likely he believes you will only blame yourself for what has happened." Aizen continued, guessing correctly.

"Ichigo… why would you walk into such an obvious trap for me?" Orihime questioned, shocking Ichigo with the fact that she was not crying at this point, which he had expected due to her realizing what was going on.

"Above all else… I will not allow something to happen to you because of something I refused to do." Ichigo replied, causing Orihime to smile.

_**Observation Room **_

"Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!" Grimmjow and Nnoitora chanted in a joking fashion, deciding to at least gain some form of entertainment.

'_I do not like where this is going…' _Nel thought out of jealousy, struggling to contain her feelings to her thoughts.

"Given the fact that the kid walked into Las Noches just to keep her alive, it wouldn't surprise me." Starrk commented, causing Nel to wince slightly at the thought, and Nnoitora and Grimmjow to stop chanting due to the fact that they really didn't want to see anything emotional at the moment.

"Ewe, that's gross." Lilynette said, eliciting a chuckle from Apacci and Mila Rose.

"What's so funny?!" Lilynette exclaimed, prompting Apacci and Mila Rose to go into an all-out laughing frenzy.

"Oh, oh... it's nothing… just that your attitude matches your age." Apacci laughed out, causing tick mark to appear on Lilynette's head.

_**Throne Room **_

"Do not blame the boy for coming here Orihime…" Aizen began, interrupting the conversation the two were having.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, allow me to ask you this. To what lengths would you go in order to save the one's you care for most?" Aizen asked with a knowing grin.

"I would do anything to protect my friends… I would sacrifice anything, even myself if I had to." Ichigo replied with a deadly serious tone.

'_Ichigo…' _Orihime thought in admiration as she smiled at the man who had captured her heart.

"Ichigo… I wouldn't ask you to sacrifice yourself for me. I-I wouldn't want to be a burden to you." Orihime said, prompting Aizen to release a small chuckle.

"You are not a burden to him Orihime, you are precious to him, and it is his will to protect and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of others that makes him such a strong opponent in battle." Aizen stated.

_**Observation Room **_

"What the hell is he talking about? Any moron who would sacrifice himself can't be a good fighter, they just end up dead." Nnoitora commented, earning a glare from both Halibel and Nel, for different reasons.

"You know nothing of true sacrifice Nnoitora." Halibel said sternly before facing the screen once more.

'_This boy… so young and such power… yet he still would lay his life down if it meant that he could protect that which he cares for the most.' _Halibel thought, slightly admiring the will the boy possessed.

"Ha! I don't need to know about sacrifice to kill that little Soul Reaper." Nnoitora laughed out, prompting Nel to grab the hilt of her sword and began to flare her spiritual pressure.

"Nnoitora, if you desire to keep your head on after this is done, than I suggest that you shut your mouth and just keep watching." Starrk suggested, sensing that even if Nnoitora wouldn't admit it, this green-haired girl was still stronger than he currently was.

"Hahahahaha, you really think that…" Nnoitora began before being cut off.

"Silence, the meeting continues." Halibel commanded, wanting to hear the rest of the conversation.

_**Throne Room**_

"Aizen… did you kidnap me solely for the purpose of getting Ichigo here?" Orihime questioned, uncharacteristically sending a death glare at Aizen as she did so.

"No, no, Orihime, you misunderstand." Aizen replied, shaking his head in amusement.

"Both Ichigo Kurosaki and yourself are assets that I cannot allow to fall into the enemy's hands. It just happened to be useful that he would come here willingly if it meant that you would live, regardless of me being honest about my intent." Aizen clarified.

"Aizen, she doesn't need to be here, you have me so let her go!" Ichigo barked, only causing Aizen's smirk to increase in size.

"So you desire for her to be out of harm's way. My, my, that's very thoughtful of you… but I'm afraid you're in no position to make demands." Aizen replied, causing Ichigo's glare to intensify at the man.

'_I can't allow this bastard to keep Orihime here.' _Ichigo thought before Aizen interrupted his train of thought.

"However, I am in a giving mood today and I have an offer in mind that I believe you will accept." Aizen continued giving off a knowing grin.

"Now what exactly might that be?" Ichigo questioned while still glaring at Aizen.

"It has become quite clear to me that your cooperation would be quite difficult to secure, especially due to the threat you pose to me. Given that, if you remain here in Las Noches for the duration of the war, then I will allow Orihime to return home, unharmed." Aizen replied.

'_Dammit… bastard never lets up.' _Ichigo though angrily, realizing that he only had one choice.

"Ichigo don…" Orihime said before being cut off.

"Will she remain unharmed?" Ichigo asked, wanting to make sure that Aizen kept his word.

"So long as you cooperate, then yes, she will remain safe." Aizen replied in a tone that almost made Ichigo believe his words.

"What exactly do you want me to do while I'm here, because if you think I'll be fighting for you than you've got another thing co…" Ichigo began before being interrupted.

"I will ask you to do the same as I did Orihime, you shall remain here, not on our side, and not on the side of our enemy. The reason that I'm offering this in the first place is because you have a nasty habit of causing… disturbances… when you should not be." Aizen reassured, chuckling slightly as he recalled the havoc he wrecked in the Soul Society just month ago.

'_There's not a chance in hell I can trust him… but what choice do I have. All I can really do is go along with this and hope that he'll keep his word.' _Ichigo thought, being extremely frustrated with his current situation.

"Alright Aizen… if you let Orihime go then I will stay here." Ichigo replied, causing Orihime to gasp.

"Ichigo, I don't want you to be here for my sake." Orihime pleaded.

"Orihime…" Ichigo began with a stern tone, getting Orihime to listen to him in silence.

"The reason I came here was to make sure that you're safe… I now have a chance to get you out of here and that exactly what I'm going to do." Ichigo said in a soft voice. Orihime made to comment but was stopped when Ichigo placed his index finger on her lips.

"I know that you don't want this, and I know that you think you're burdening me… but know this… Orihime, as long as you are safe, I can stay here knowing that I came here to do what I needed to." Ichigo stated, giving Orihime a soft smile.

'_There's no way to talk him out of this…' _Orihime thought sadly as she realized that there wasn't going to be any discussion on this.

"You shall be leaving now Orihime. I will have a Garganta opened up and you will be returned to Karakura Town." Aizen said, momentarily interrupting the moment the two were having.

"However I am not heartless by nature, and I shall allow you to say your goodbyes to one another." Aizen clarified, calming Orihime slightly.

"Kaname, as these two give their farewells, I would ask that you open a Garganta for Orihime." Aizen said, prompting Tosen to come up from behind the pair.

"Yes Lord Aizen." Tosen replied as he prepared the configurations to the Garganta so that Orihime would end up in Karakura Town.

_**Observation Room**_

"Well that certainly put a damper on my mood." Gin said in mock sadness.

"Still, I doubt this plans effectiveness. The kid can't really even consider the possibility that Lord Aizen will keep his word given what's happened so far." Starrk reasoned, obviouly seeing that Aizen had his work cut out for him if he wanted to make Ichigo fight for him.

"The kill him option is still on the table…" Grimmjow suggested, earning a glare from Halibel, Starrk, and Nel who had grown tired of hearing that suggestion.

"Shhh, their saying their goodbyes… I wonder what's going to happen." Gin said, silently hoping for some form of drama.

_**Throne Room **_

'_If I don't tell him now… I realize that I most likely won't even be able to.' _Orihime thought sadly as she turned to face Ichigo, who mimicked her action.

"Ichigo…" Orihime began, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I realize that even if Aizen keeps his word… one way or another, we probably won't be seeing each other again." Orihime said in a sad tone.

"Orihime that's not tru…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"Let me finish." Orihime said, causing Ichigo to become silent.

"When I was first taken here to Las Noches I wasn't afraid of being here, and I wasn't even sad that I was here…" Orihime began, a frown forming on her lips before she continued.

"The only reason that I was sad was because I had… regrets… things that I wanted to say but I didn't get the chance to." Orihime continued.

"I remember being in my room, looking at the moon in the sky and thinking to myself that I wouldn't be able to see my friends again… to see you again. That was the moment I had lost hope, but even so, I was not scarred." Orihime stated, causing Ichigo to frown slightly.

"I made a promise to myself… if I ever saw you again… I would tell you what I have always wanted to tell you." Orihime cryptically said as she walked closer and closer to Ichigo, up until the point where their lips were inches apart and the two were staring deeply into each other's eyes.

_**Observation Room **_

"What the hell is this?" Nnoitora exclaimed, not wanting to see anything sappy.

"I think I know…" Starrk said absentmindedly as he recalled his conversation with the girl when she first arrived.

'_Is she going to do what I think she is?' _Nel wondered as she struggled not to glare at the girl whose lips were just inches away from Ichigo's.

_**Throne Room**_

"Ichigo Kurosaki… you are my heart… I love you." Orihime said quietly before bringing her lips to meet Ichigo's in a soft kiss.

'_Sh-she what?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief as he just stood there unable to make any intelligent response due to his shock.

The kiss ended within the next few moments as Orihime broke the contact and leaned her forehead against his chest, her eyes closed and a sad smile on her face.

"You don't have to say anything…in fact it may be better if you don't considering the fact that we may not see each other for such a long time." Orihime whispered sadly before taking her head off of Ichigo's chest and looking into his eyes one last time.

"Be safe Ichigo… just please be safe." Orihime said before walking towards Tosen, who had opened up a Garganta.

"Are you ready?" Tosen questioned.

"Yes." Orihime replied, sadness evident in her voice as she walked towards the Garganta, though the tone was absent of something that could be heard since she arrived in the large white fortress… regret.

'_At least I have no more regrets.' _Orihime thought, allowing herself a genuine smile as she walked into the Garganta.

_**Observation Room**_

The observation room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Each and every arrancar either just stared at the screen and made no comment, or had wide eyes and open mouths at what the just heard.

'_That little…' _Nel thought in anger, balling her fists as she glared at the image of Orihime.

'_Well that at least explains her attitude when she entered the room.' _Starrk though as he noticed the green haired arrancar glaring at the screen, jealousy written all over her face. Starrk released a chuckle to himself, something that unfortunately got the attention of Nel.

"Find something funny?" Nel asked in a warning tone as she turned her glare to Starrk.

"Nothing, not damn thing." Starrk replied, ceasing his chuckle and turning his attention to the screen once more.

_**Throne Room **_

"I never thought she would be able to admit such a thing to you Kurosaki. It appears that her time in the Soul Society changed her quite a bit. Don't you agree?" Aizen said, bringing Ichigo out of his shock induced stupor.

"I-I uhhh…" Ichigo stuttered out, still unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Regardless she will be fine… now Kaname." Aizen said, getting the blind man's attention.

"Yes sir?" Tosen asked.

"Knock out our new guest immediately." Aizen ordered, causing Ichigo to widen his eyes in shock and Tosen to grow extremely confused. Tosen complied none the less and hit Ichigo on the back of the head with blunt end of his swords hilt, effectively knocking him out.

_**Observation Room **_

Ichigo had been knocked out and caught by Tosen before hitting the floor. This unexpected turn of events left the observation room silent save for Nel who released a gasp.

"Ichigo!" Nel cried out of worry as she saw him hit in the back of the head by Tosen.

'_What the hell is this?' _Everyone in the room wondered, not getting what Aizen could possibly have behind the motive of knocking the boy out at this point, though they felt a predation that they would find out soon.

_**Throne Room **_

"Lord Aizen, if I may ask. Why did you have me do this?" Tosen questioned, confused at Aizen's order.

"All will be revealed in due time." Aizen replied cryptically.

"Kaname, take him to Orihime's former room after which you are to go to the Espada's meeting chambers." Aizen ordered, prompting Tosen to bow before doing as he was told, as evident by his disappearing via flash step.

"As for the rest of you…" Aizen began, bringing his eyes to look at the camera that gave video feed to the observation room.

"I am calling a meeting immediately, all Espada are to report to the meeting room." Aizen continued in a tone of absolute seriousness, as if warning them that they had better be there as soon as possible.

"Oh… and Nelliel, I will not harm Ichigo as I have promised, but I wish to speak to you as well. Therefore I request that you bring your fraccion and attend the meeting with the rest of the Espada." Aizen stated before leaving the throne room.

_**Soul Society: Squad 1 Meeting Room**_

"I hereby call this meeting of the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to order!" Yamamoto bellowed, causing all of the captains to stand at attention.

"The first order of business is that bloody mess that the cleaner encountered in the Dangai." Yamamoto stated.

"Captain Hitsugaya, give us your full report." Yamamoto ordered, eliciting a nod from Hitsugaya.

"Yes sir… once my squad arrived to investigate we found that the deceased Soul Reapers were indeed the member of the dispatch sent to safeguard Orihime Inoue during her return to the world of the living…" Hitsugaya began, causing a few captains to gain saddened expressions as their fears were realized.

"Her body, however, was nowhere to be found and therefore the only explanations I could come up with given the situation are that she was either kidnapped, or she is also dead but at an unknown location." Hitsugaya stated sadly, not believing either situation to be preferable.

"Have the patrols picked up anything?" Kyoraku asked, grimacing slightly at the possibility that they had found her body.

"No, and what's more all sensors from the 12th Division indicate that the other end of the senkaimon never opened, meaning that she was likely kidnapped." Hitsugaya replied.

"At any rate, once my squad arrived on the scene I deduced that a pathway called a Garganta had been opened." Kurotsuchi piped in, deciding to explain what he believed had happened.

"This Garganta is the way that hollows travel from in between Hueco Mundo and the world of the living. It functions much like our senkaimon. However, the most frighteningly fascinating thing about this whole ordeal has been that it appears that the Garganta is capable of opening within the Dangai." Kurotsuchi explained.

"So are you saying that they could possibly mount a direct attack on the Soul Society from the Dangai?" Soifon questioned.

"That is exactly what I am saying. In fact it wouldn't be so much of a stretch to open a Garganta within the Seireitei." Kurotsuchi replied, causing several captains to grimace at the thought of hollows freely entering the Soul Society.

"Of course they would have to be able to break through the wall that surrounds the court guard squads, but none the less it is frightening to think about." Kurotsuchi clarified, causing the captains to relax after finding out that the hollows could not appear wherever they wished.

"Head Captain Yamamoto." Lieutenant Sasakibe said as he entered the meeting chamber and kneeled before the head captain.

"What is so important that you have interrupted this meeting lieutenant?" Yamamoto asked in a commanding tone.

"Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin are here to see you. They say that this matter is most urgent." Sasakibe replied, prompting the head captain to nod, thus giving him the sign to send them in.

"Well hello there everyone." Urahara chirped, only get a cold reception.

"Why are you here Kisuke Urahara?" Yamamoto bellowed, not in the mood for Urahara's antics.

"We are here to ask if by some chance you'd summoned Ichigo Kurosaki to the Soul Society." Yoruichi replied, confusing some of the captains.

"Ichigo Kurosaki hasn't entered the Soul Society for some time Lady Yoruichi." Soifon stated, causing Yoruichi to hang her head in momentary sadness.

'_What's going on?' _Soifon wondered as she saw her mentor's mood sadden.

"Sorry Yoruichi…" Urahara said as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yamamoto bellowed, wanting to stay on track.

"Ichigo Kurosaki has disappeared I'm afraid…" Urahara began, shocking all of the captains, even more so as they were currently aware of what had happened to Orihime Inoue.

"A few days ago he just vanished, and we haven't been able to find him since." Urahara continued.

"Wait… a few days ago?" Hitsugaya asked, wanting to know if he heard correctly.

'_I'm definitely missing something.' _Urahara thought as he noticed the grimacing expressions of several of the captains.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Urahara questioned, curious as to what he was missing.

"Orihime Inoue left the Soul Society several days ago, and upon an investigation we believe that she was kidnapped and taken to Hueco Mundo." Hitsugaya replied in a deadly serious tone, causing Yoruichi and Urahara to grimace at their collective realization.

"It would appear that these events are related." Yamamoto reasoned, stroking his beard in thought.

"That is unfortunate… it would seem that both of them have gone missing as a…" Urahara said before being cut off by a squad 12 messenger who had abruptly charged into the room, sweat covering his forehead.

"Sir, I beg your pardon but we've found Orihime Inoue… she's falling out of a Garganta in Karakura town." The messenger said, shocking the room's occupants.

"Captain Hitsugaya, take your lieutenant and retrieve her immediately." The head captain ordered.

"We're going to." Yoruichi stated, eliciting a nod of approval from Yamamoto before the three left to retrieve their party's fourth member.

_**Las Noches: Meeting Chamber of the Espada **_

"What the hell is going on?!" Nnoitora exclaimed, not at all happy with the events that had occurred thus far.

"Quit complaining, Lord Aizen will explain everything when he gets here." Starrk commented, only succeeding in further aggravating Nnoitora.

"Shut up Primera! If I want to complain I damn well will!" Nnoitora shouted, causing Nel to shake her head in response.

"Always a mindless beast with a temper… glad to see you haven't changed." Nel stated sarcastically, prompting Nnoitora to glare at her.

"Bring it, you weak little…" Nnoitora shouted as he reached for his weapon, only to be stopped by Ulquiorra.

"It's as if you have no intelligence whatsoever. Did you not hear Lord Aizen clearly enough?" Ulquiorra asked, effectively shutting Nnoitora up.

"Everyone just take a seat." Barragan huffed, being aggravated that he had to sit through this.

"I see that you are all here… good." Aizen said as he walked into the room with Gin and Tosen on either of his sides.

"Now I'm sure you have questions…" Aizen began as he and his entourage took their seats.

"But before I answer them, I will take the time to explain exactly what has happened here and the goal behind my actions." Aizen continued.

"Firstly, Orihime Inoue was indeed simply bait to get Ichigo Kurosaki here." Aizen stated, waiting for a question to be asked as he finished, though he was met with none.

"The boy is quite important to my plans as you know… but what you do not know is that he shall become my ultimate weapon." Aizen said cryptically, a smile of sheer content etched on his face.

"Exactly why is it that you knocked him out then?" Gin asked, deciding to voice his own curiosity.

"Oh, well that's quite simple Gin… in order for the next step of my plan to proceed he will have to have lost consciousness in order for him to battle his inner hollow." Aizen replied, raising more questions than he answered.

"Battle his inner hollow?" Halibel asked, interested at the dynamic.

"Indeed Halibel… Ichigo Kurosaki is a being unlike any I have encountered due to his relationship with his hollow. It seems that the power of his hollow is part of him, not another being that simply resides in him. If this were the case, he would be a vizard, but his hollow nature is clearly a part of his being." Aizen replied.

"In order for him to become my ultimate weapon, he needs to become one of you." Aizen continued, shocking most of the arrancar in the room.

'_What?' _All the rooms' occupants thought in disbelief.

"I never did say that another Soul Reaper would be joining us now did I." Aizen stated, causing Gin to realize what he had meant earlier.

"How do you intend to do that?" Ulquiorra questioned, more interested in the process than he was willing to let on.

"The power of the Hogyoku will both act as a catalyst for his hollowfication to commence, and a seal so that when and if he conquers his hollow, he will be transformed into an arrancar. As you are likely aware, only hollows are capable of becoming arrancar, but for a brief moment after the hollofication process, Ichigo Kurosaki will be in control of his hollow powers, allowing him to be transformed without having the mentality of a mindless beast." Aizen replied.

"During the process of hollowfication, Ichigo Kurosaki will not be in control and he will be in the same state he was in during his fight with Yammy. Therefore, you are all needed to subdue the beast as he battles it within the confines of his own soul." Aizen continued.

'_Finally I get to see the depths of those powers.' _Halibel thought, smirking at the thought of finally seeing the power that had manhandled Yammy firsthand.

"All of you are to meet me at the gate as soon as you are able, now go… except for you Nelliel." Aizen ordered, prompting everyone to head to the gate except Nel.

"What is it you want?" Nel questioned in a monotone voice.

"I am aware of how you feel about Ichigo Kurosaki's well-being and I wish to assure you that he will not be harmed. In fact he will become an arrancar, just like you." Aizen replied, knowing that he had just convinced Nelliel with those last three simple words.

'_Just like me…' _Nel thought, smiling slightly at the prospect.

"Now, I will need your help as well, but I will ask you to carry Ichigo to the gate… along with his zanpakuto." Aizen asked, prompting Nel to nod before she used sonido to head over to the room where Ichigo had been kept.

_**World of the Living: Karakura Town **_

"Her spiritual signature is emanating from somewhere in the immediate area… I just need a moment to pinpoint its location." Hitsugaya stated as he and the other members of the retrieval party exited the Senkaimon.

"No need, I can sense her spiritual pressure nearby. It would seem she's landed in the park." Yoruichi said before using flash step to head to the park.

"Show off." Hitsugaya mumbled before he and the others followed suit and headed to the park.

_**Karakura Town Park**_

"Well that didn't take long." Urahara deadpanned as he looked at where Orihime had landed.

She was currently lying in a small crater that was created by the impact of her landing. The Garganta seemingly had dispelled her at such a velocity that had she been an ordinary human, she would have been killed.

"The best course of action would be to bring her to the Soul Society and have her be healed in the 4th Division's barracks. This way when she wakes we will be able to sort out this mess." Hitsugaya reasoned, prompting several nods to come from the other members of the group.

"I agree… but we need to get her there fast before her condition becomes unstable and what she knows becomes lost to us." Yoruichi said, staring at the girl's unconscious body with worry.

"I'll open up a Senkaimon here." Hitsugaya replied.

"Will you two be coming back to the Soul Society for now?" Rangiku questioned.

"We need to be there in case she wakes up in order to find out what happened to Ichigo, or even if his disappearance and her kidnapping are connected." Urahara replied.

"It's ready, let's get going." Hitsugaya said after the Senkaimon had appeared in front of the group, prompting Yoruichi to pick Orihime up and gently place her over her back.

'_Wake up soon Orihime…' _Yoruichi silently prayed as she and the others walked into the Senkaimon.

_**Outside the Gates of Las Noches **_

"Is everyone here?" Aizen asked as he walked outside the gates to address his subordinates.

"Everyone is present and Nelliel is currently carrying Ichigo." Tosen replied.

"Very good, now we best get going." Aizen said, confusing the Espada.

"Where exactly are we going sir?" Starrk questioned, speaking for everyone.

"The containment process for hollowfication can become quite… messy… therefore we are going far out into the dunes of Hueco Mundo." Aizen explained as he walked past the group, Gin and Tosen in toe.

"Follow me." Aizen ordered before using flash step, followed by Gin and Tosen.

"Alright then…" Starrk said lazily before using sonido to follow them.

One by one the Espada followed using sonido until only Nel and her fraccion were left standing by the gates of Las Noches.

"Lady Nelliel?" Pesche asked, noticing a conflicted look on Nel's face.

"What is it Pesche?" Nel asked, turning to face her fraccion.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" Pesche questioned, his tone being deadly serious.

"I've thought about it… and even if Ichigo becomes an arrancar he will hopefully still be the same person, and more importantly he will still be alive, and that is all that matters to me." Nel replied before using sonido to follow the other arrancar.

'_I certainly hope your right Master Nel…' _Pesche thought before following his master, followed by Dondochakka.

**A/N Okay, so the calm before the storm so to speak. Ichigo will be forced to battle his inner hollow due to the power of the Hogyoku and that will start next chapter The Esapada will fight a hollowfied Ichigo as he transforms, and it should at least be entertaining. Also a few things come to light in the next few chapters, the first of which will likely be posted Sunday since that is a day after I return, so I should have some time. In case any of you were wondering, the reason the Hogyoku cant simply make a Soul Reaper and arrancar is because that's not actually possible. My rational is that for a brief moment after Ichigo controls his hollow, he will be in control of his hollow form before it dissaptates and that is the opening Aizen was referring to. **

**FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If your curious about what will happen to Ichigo after he changed into a hollow, dont be, because I never confirmed he would officially become an arrancar, things just dont go as planned sometimes... ^^ Also, some questions you MIGHT want to ask yourself, what will happen when Orihime wakes up, what will the Soul Society do? Am I asking leading question? **

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Well, Ichigo wont become evil, this is how Aizen goes about it and I guarantee no one will guess what I am going to have happen, regardless of how clever you are, you wont really know what Ichigo becomes, or even how the fight with the Espada goes :P

**Antex-The Legendary** **Zoroarkbu**: Well, Gin will be a comical character that will seriously do some damage when I get to that point, but as of yet, Aizen will not have any big plans for the future, but a lot of stuff happens as you can imagine.

**sami217**: Nel and the Quinto will come to a semi-final battle later in the story, the only reason Nnoitora really hasn't done anything immediately is because Aizen ordered it, therefore no one wants to get their head cut off, alo Nnoitora knows he is on thin ice since Aizen knew about him getting rid of Nel in the first place, as for Nel's reaction, she really doesn't like fighting... but she does like Ichigo.

**NIX'S**** WARDEN**: Thanks, and not quite arrancarfy... ^^

**drkmachines**: Thanks, and your right now that I think about it eel would have been better.

**eragonfan117**: Thanks! And I will!

**S.R.457**: Thank!

**Mexican**** ninja1996**: Let's just say he MAY end up being the luckiest bastard to ever walk the sands of Hueco Mundo... MAYBE :P

**SSJ3 Kyuubi**** Gohan**: Than's because I am evil ^^

**FrozenSpectre**: Yes... yes they are :D

**Arrankor**: Glad to see you still like the story :))

**hornet07**: I agree, that's why I am doing it, but the thing is, I never said Ichigo would become a hollow or even an arrancar, though his hollofication does take place and he does defeat his inner hollow, what happens after that is a mystery.

**Guest**: Might bring him back, but it wont be in this story, or at least this part of it, if I choose to do a sequel, maybe... :O

**talonjay**: Maybe you do... maybe you don't... ;P

**Daimaio The**** End**: Thanks and I will, hopefully xD

**TheEvilEye**: That was my intent!

**Guest(2)**: Yeah, to be honest I see them as brother and sister, but if my rant last chapter was any indication, I don't think i need to repeat xD

**Friaku**: Thanks! Also you will see more... now.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Sorry about the cliffhanger xD, Also Nel more wants to be alongside and help him work for Aizen... let me just say that IF Ichigo ever goes against Aizen... she would pick Ichigo.

**BleachFan21**: Now you do!


	16. The Darkness Within

**A/N So I got home from my vacation a little early today and decided to do some writing. Originally I decided to make this a double chapter posting given the fact that I really wanted to write this section but alas the next chapter is not yet complete and it will be posted tomorrow. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 16**

_**Sand Dunes of Hueco Mundo **_

"This should be far enough." Aizen said as he abruptly stopped using Flash Step to put distance between the Espada and Las Noches.

Aizen waited as the buzz of Sonido filled the air, revealing all the Espada to arrive one by one.

"Nelliel, if you'd be so kind as to lay Ichigo down over there and place his sword by his side." Aizen said, motioning towards an open area on the sands. Nel nodded and walked over to place Ichigo's body on the ground.

'_Ichigo please just survive this.' _Nel thought hopefully as she placed Ichigo on the sands and stepped back to join the other arrancar.

"If you expect him to cause trouble while this is going on why give him his zanpakuto?" Grimmjow asked out of mild curiosity.

"Taking away his sword would just make him more of a beast than he would already become… plus this way is more fun." Gin answered, his smirk increasing in size.

"Now all that is left is to bind him…" Aizen said as clasped his hands together and five small golden orbs of spiritual energy began to swirl around them. The orbs of energy began to pick up the pace with each passing moment until Aizen cast the intended spell.

"Bakudo 75, Gochutekkan." Aizen uttered, causing the orbs to fly into the sky and settle over Ichigo, creating five pillars of iron that held his body in place.

"Now to speed up the process…" Aizen trailed off as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Hogyoku.

'_What is he doing?' _Many of those present wondered as they saw the Hogyoku glow, seemingly directing spiritual energy at the unconscious form of Ichigo.

"Now what Lord Aizen?" Starrk asked, as Aizen once again placed the Hogyoku in his pocket.

"Now we wait for his inner conflict to begin." Aizen responded cryptically before turning to face the Espada.

"Yammy shall be the first to battle Ichigo Kurosaki in his hollowfied state, the rest of you will get your opportunities as time passes." Aizen stated as he took a seat on a nearby bolder and began to watch Ichigo's body for any signs of movement.

"Lord Aizen…" Szayel began, appearing deep in thought.

"Something has been eating at me since you informed us of your plan." Szayel stated, piquing the curiosity of some of the more intelligent Espada.

"What might that be Szayel?" Aizen asked in his usual smooth tone of voice.

"What do you expect the Soul Reapers will do once they find out that the boy is here in Hueco Mundo?" Szayel questioned, causing some of the other Espada to wonder why they hadn't considered that yet.

"Oh, they will most likely make an attempt at retrieving him once Orihime Inoue tells them what she believes to has happened." Aizen stated, causing Szayel to grow slightly confused.

"Then all the more reason to do something about it, don't you agree?" Szayel asked not wanting to deal with a Soul Reaper invasion anytime soon.

"You needn't worry for the time being Szayel… which reminds me that I have something to ask of you once this is over." Aizen replied cryptically.

_**Soul Society: 4**__**th**__** Division Barracks**_

Many Soul Reapers stand by the bed where Orihime Inoue was currently lying, unconscious, but alive none the less.

"How is she?" Rukia questioned as she walked into the medical room where Orihime was being cared for.

"She is stable but Captain Unohana tells us that she will be unconscious for some time." Yoruichi replied, not taking her eyes off of Orihime.

"Is it true that she was kidnapped along with Ichigo?" Rukia asked, fear evident in her voice.

"We don't necessarily know that yet…" Urahara began, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"We know what happened to Orihime due to the Soul Society's investigation, but we still don't know if Ichigo was kidnapped or not. It's very possible but until she wakes up all we can be sure of is that he is gone and she was kidnapped." Urahara explained.

"I don't think that Ichigo is one to go down without a fight." Rukia exclaimed, prompting several of the other Soul Reapers present to nod in agreement.

"That is very true… which is why I've come up with a theory that Aizen used Orihime as bait to get Ichigo into Hueco Mundo." Urahara stated, saddening the expressions of all the Soul Reapers present, including himself.

'_Something's missing here… just what happened to you Orihime.' _Yoruichi wondered as she continued to stare at Orihime's unconscious form.

"Something wrong, Yoruichi?" Urahara asked, noticing that she seemed to be scanning Orihime's body for something.

"The look on her face Kisuke… she looks like she is in pain… but Unohana assured us that she has absolutely no reason to be feeling any outward pain." Yoruichi replied.

'_Something defiantly happened…' _Yoruichi thought as she observed the pained expression on Orihime's face.

"If Orihime was in fact bait, than her being here would mean that Ichigo arrived in Hueco Mundo and Aizen got what he wanted… but from the pained expression on Orihime's face…" Yoruichi said, a pained expression of her own crossing her face as she thought of the worst possible outcome.

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi began, taking her eyes off of Orihime for the first time since Rukia entered the room.

"Do you think that something happened to Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked, hiding her sadness with her deadly serious tone.

"Aizen isn't the type of person to put so much work into bringing Ichigo to Hueco Mundo just to kill him. If he really wanted him dead, something tells me it would've already happened." Urahara replied, being slightly doubtful that Ichigo was alive himself.

'_I hope your right about that Kisuke…' _Yoruichi silently prayed as she returned her gaze to Orihime.

_**Orihime's Dreamscape **_

"Welcome to Las Noches Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen greeted as Orihime and Ichigo walked towards the throne.

"Cut the crap Aizen! Why am I here?" Ichigo roared.

"Well, you are here because of Orihime Inoue, or rather because I threatened her life to bring you here." Aizen replied, shocking Orihime.

"Ichigo, I didn't want anyone to come for me!" Orihime cried out, turning to face Ichigo.

"I would never allow you to die because I refused to do something Orihime." Ichigo replied in a quiet voice, comforting Orihime with his words.

"How touching…" Aizen cooed, a smirk of amusement forming on his lips.

"However, I'm afraid this little reunion will have to be cut short." Aizen stated, angering Ichigo and confusing Orihime.

"Orihime, you may leave and return home safely, but Ichigo over here must stay here in Las Noches." Aizen continued, only angering Ichigo more so than before.

"Should you resist, Kurosaki, I will simply kill the girl. Therefore I would advise that you do your best to contain yourself." Aizen added.

"Bastard." Ichigo said through gritted teeth.

"I am not heartless however, and I will allow you to say your respective goodbyes." Aizen said.

'_It's now or never…' _Orihime thought as she turned to face Ichigo, who returned the gesture a moment later.

"Ichigo… there's something I've wanted to tell you… no, needed to tell you, for quite some time, but I never had the courage to say it to your face out of fear that you wouldn't feel the same way." Orihime said as she stared directly into Ichigo's eyes.

"Ichigo Kurosaki… I love you with all my heart." Orihime confessed before bringing her lips to meet Ichigo's in a soft kiss which seemed to last for eternity.

"You don't have to say anything… in fact it may be better if you don't considering the fact that we may not see each other for such a long time." Orihime whispered sadly after she broke the kiss, looking at the floor with closed eyes as she did so.

"I'm ready to leave." Orihime said as she opened her eyes and turned to face Aizen.

"Very well… Kaname if you would be so kind as to open a Garganta." Aizen said, prompting the former captain to nod in acknowledgment.

"Of course Lord Aizen." Tosen replied, opening a Garganta in the middle of the throne room.

"Goodbye Ichigo… I hope one day we will be able to see each other again." Orihime said with a sad smile as she walked up to the Garganta before turning back to see Ichigo.

"Unfortunately Orihime, you will not be seeing each other again." Aizen said as he suddenly appeared behind Ichigo, blade unsheathed and preparing to strike through Ichigo's chest.

"No!" Orihime screamed at the top of her lungs as she saw Aizen stab his zanpakuto directly through the right side of Ichigo's chest.

Orihime saw Ichigo gasp, blood coming out of his mouth as he grasped the sword that had pierced directly through his heart with his hands.

"O-Orihime…" Ichigo whispered weakly before his hands fell to his sides and his eyes became lifeless.

"W-why?" Orihime asked aloud, crying hysterically as she fell on her hands and knees out of sheer sadness.

"A pity." Aizen said as he pulled his blade out of Ichigo's chest, causing his body to drop to the floor, completely devoid of any life whatsoever.

"Now you really must be going… Kaname." Aizen said as he batted his sword to his side, effectively ridding it of Ichigo's blood.

Tosen immediately appeared in front of the girl using flash step and sent her flying through the Garganta, tears still streaming from her eyes as she fell through the black abyss.

_**Ichigo's Inner World **_

"Where the hell am I?" Ichigo wondered aloud, as he looked around the sideways city.

"Wait, this is my inner world." Ichigo realized, remembering the area from whenever he spoke to Zangetsu.

"**Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner folks!**" A raspy voice joked, bringing Ichigo's attention towards its source.

"You!" Ichigo barked in anger as he saw a white and black version of himself on the adjacent side of the building.

"**It seems that this isn't happening on my own terms, but I suppose the results will be the same so I really don't care.**" The hollow stated, laughing slightly as he saw Ichigo glare at him.

"What do you mean 'on your own terms'? Ichigo questioned, never ceasing his glare at the hollow version of himself.

"**I mean what I said you idiot, hehehehe. I wasn't the one who pulled you in here to fight, but it's going to happen nonetheless.**" The hollow replied, giving Ichigo a devilish smirk.

"What the hell are you talking about, and where is Zangetsu?!" Ichigo yelled, not wanting to put up with the being that had caused him so much trouble in the past few months.

"**Well one of those I have no problems answering…**" The hollow began cryptically, causing Ichigo's glare to intensify.

"**I'm Zangetsu!**" The hollow shouted, prompting Ichigo to widen his eyes in shock.

'_What did he just say?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Where is Zangetsu?" Ichigo roared, refusing to believe a word his white replica had just told him.

"**What are you? Deaf?**" His inner hollow taunted, laughing at the look of confusion on Ichigo's face.

"**Fine I'll say it again, but this time real slow… I… am… Zangetsu.**" The hollow stated.

"Tell me what I want to know dammit!" Ichigo yelled as he unsheathed his zanpakuto and pointed it at his inner hollow, who simply laughed at his attempt at a taunt.

"**Well I suppose if you don't want to believe me…**" The hollow trailed off as he reached on his back and readied his own version of Zangetsu, only this sword was white instead of black.

'_A white Zangetsu?' _Ichigo thought as he noticed the different color scheme of the sword his hollow was using.

"**I will admit, you're quite persistent… making me repeat myself and even still you seem to have not understood me.**" The hollow chided as a bead of sweat made its way down Ichigo's cheek.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo growled out, regaining his composure for the most part.

"**Hehehehehehe, it would seem that you were indeed unaware of how your spiritual pressure functions…**" The hollow began, resting the white Zangetsu across his shoulders as he did so.

'_What the hell is he going on about?' _Ichigo thought as he restrained himself from giving any outward look of confusion.

"**I may as well explain this to you before I crush you. You see Ichigo, Zangetsu and I have always been one being and together we make up the remainder of your spiritual pressure that exists outside of the spiritual pressure you already have.**" The hollow stated, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen slightly in shock.

"**It doesn't do you any good to know that now… so let's get this going!**" The white Ichigo yelled before he charged Ichigo, laughing like a maniac as the two blades crossed repeatedly, sending sparks flying throughout the air due to the speed at which the metals of the blades collided.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body **_

"Yammy, it appears he is about to break free." Aizen stated upon seeing spiritual pressure exude from the previously unconscious body, prompting Yammy to get up from his seated position and move to face the beast that resided inside the boy's soul.

"Raaaaaa." Ichigo hissed as his body began to shake more and more, attempting to get up.

The pillars began to shake as waves of dust began to roar around the body. The pillars eventually collapsed over due to the force as Ichigo lifted his body up off the ground and he turned to face the large Espada.

A hollow hole now appeared at the center of his chest, and a white hollow mask with red markings covered the left side of his face. His hollow hole was surrounded with a white skin like substance that seemed to be spreading across his body. His eyes now had black sclera and his iris' were now gold in color.

"Pick up your sword you little freak so I can repay you for taking my arm." Yammy demanded, cracking his knuckles and his neck as he did so.

"Raaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo roared as he unsheathed Zangetsu and charged Yammy, who brought out his own sword to defend from the frantic attacks.

"Tya!" Ichigo grunted as he slashed at Yammy with extreme speed, putting Yammy immediately on the defensive.

_**With the Observers **_

"That kid looks kinda scary, don't you agree Kaname?" Gin joked as he observed the battle before them, prompting Nnoitora and Grimmjow to chuckle at his joke.

"Very funny Gin. However if its spiritual pressure is any indication as to its appearance, then I suppose you could classify it as 'scary'." Tosen calmly replied, causing Gin's grin to widen.

"That thing has some amazing speed in its strikes." Starrk commented as he immediately noticed that even with Yammy trying he was put on the defensive.

"True, but his attacks are still to wild and frantic to land any serious blows." Halibel added as she too began to size up the strength of this creature.

"Let's just hope Yammy isn't stupid enough to kill him out of anger." Grimmjow stated with a sickening grin, rather looking forward to his turn.

_**Outside Ichigo's body **_

"You little runt!" Yammy roared as he attempted, repeatedly, to strike the beast but to no avail.

"Hyaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo screeched as he sent a strong strike across Yammy's body, only to connect his blade with that of his opponent, creating sparks as the swords collided.

'_What the hell?' _Yammy thought in disbelief as he found himself struggling to keep his blade steady under the heavy pressure that was being applied to it.

"Raaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo screeched as he swiped his blade across, effectively separating his blade from Yammy's while simultaneously sending Yammy flying backwards into a boulder.

"Why you little…" Yammy exclaimed as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Take this!" Yammy roared as he hand began to emit static before launching a crimson bala directly at Ichigo.

"Tsa." Ichigo grunted as he slashed the bala in half, splitting any blast that would occur to the opposite sides of his body.

"You bastard!" Yammy exclaimed as he brought his fists back and forth repeatedly, sending a flurry of bala directly at the creature, only for him to slash each and every one as they neared.

Ichigo suddenly began charging Yammy at unbelievable speeds, sidestepping bala after bala, his intent to kill quite clear.

'_How can he be that fast without using that damned flash step those Soul Reapers have?' _Yammy wondered in disbelief as Ichigo ran closer and closer to him, still unharmed.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo screeched as he reached and slashed his chest across his body, leaving a sizeable gash.

"Gotcha!" Yammy roared as grabbed the blade that had pierced his flesh and slashed the creature across its body.

The resulting slash sent Ichigo flying backwards, but the wound was meaningless as a white substance covered the wound no sooner than he had received it. As Ichigo landed it was very clear that the wound was healed, much to Yammy's irritation.

"You little bastard!" Yammy shouted as he began to release high amounts of crimson spiritual pressure, clearly dissatisfied at how his fight with Ichigo was going.

_**Observers **_

"You'd think Yammy would remember that in this form he possesses Instant Regeneration." Starrk mused, slightly surprised at Yammy's stupidity.

"He was, after all, the one who fought him in the world of the living." Grimmjow added, smirking as he saw Yammy become more enraged.

"Nonetheless, it appears that Yammy has lost control of his temper." Halibel stated as she saw the vast amounts of spiritual energy that Yammy was building up.

"Ulquiorra, stop Yammy before he does something to jeopardize the boy's transformation won't you." Aizen said, his words immediately followed by the buzz of sonido.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

"Enrage…" Yammy began, only to be socked in the guy a second later.

"Gah!" Yammy chocked out as he flew back into the ground from the force of the punch.

"Idiot… you were about to release your zanpakuto and jeopardize Lord Aizen's plan." Ulquiorra stated as he turned to face the transformed Ichigo.

"Return to the others, I shall be taking the next turn." Ulquiorra said in an unemotional voice as he drew his zanpakuto and pointed it at the creature who had yet to move since regenerating the wound Yammy had inflicted.

"But Ulquiorra…" Yammy said as he got off the ground.

"Do as you are told Yammy before Lord Aizen grows impatient with you." Ulquiorra ordered, prompting Yammy to grudgingly nod before using sonido to return to the others.

"Raaaaa." Ichigo hissed as he saw the green eyed arrancar before him, seemingly checking for any signs of a threat.

Ichigo abruptly readied his blade and charged Ulquiorra with impeccable speeds, seemingly getting even faster than he was when he charged Yammy.

'_If his attacks weren't so frantic he would indeed be an exceptional swordsman.' _Ulquiorra mused in thought as he began to evaluate the extent of the boy's hollow powers, something he hadn't gotten the chance to do in the world of the living.

'_Let's test how he is on defense.' _Ulquiorra thought as he batted Ichigo's Zanpakuto away with his hand before sending a flurry of stabs at Ichigo's head.

The creature dodged each and every one with a simple motion of his body, not letting up and inch as he continued to walk towards Ulquiorra, who found it necessary to back up in order to continue his attacks.

'_It appears that even on the defensive he has the capability to make his opponents feels they are in the same position.' _Ulquiorra thought as he observed the beast's reaction to his flurry of stabs.

_**Observers**_

"Ha, looks like you got the crap kicked out of you Yammy." Grimmjow chided much to Yammy's irritation.

"Shut up Grimmjow, I'd just like to see how you handle it when it's your turn." Yammy bellowed, forming a grin on his lips at the thought of Grimmjow being brought down a peg.

"Well, let's just say I won't be dumb enough to trade a cut for a cut when facing Instant Regeneration." Grimmjow retorted, causing Yammy's grin to fade.

"That form of his has a great deal of annoying characteristics." Gin thought aloud as he watched Ulquiorra seemingly testing Ichigo's offensive and defensive capabilities, taking specific note of the fact that even on the offensive Ulquiorra was being pushed back.

"Indeed… without a doubt, his offensive and defensive capabilities are increasing as time goes on and he becomes more like a hollow." Aizen stated, not taking his eyes off of the fight.

"Even so, he seems to be acting on pure instinct at the moment." Starrk commented.

"True, but even without any technique he's still not allowing his opponents to get sloppy." Gin replied.

_**Ichigo's Inner World **_

"**Hahahahahaha, it feels so good to let loose after so long.**" Ichigo's inner hollow said as he spun the white Zangetsu by its black cloth with a menacing grin etched on his face.

The hollow then began to launch the sword like a bullet by using the cloth on the end of Zangetsu, firing shots repeatedly and forcing Ichigo to dodge, never allowing him to regain his offensive posture. As each strike landed, bits and pieces of the building began to tear away from the surface, leaving tiny cracks where the sword had impacted.

"That won't work!" Ichigo roared as his sword began to exude spiritual energy.

As the hollow fired the next sword bullet Ichigo batted it out of the way with his blade and began to charge the hollow, making to end the fight with his sword now having superior strength due to his new technique.

"**Hehehehe.**" The hollow laughed as it jumped into the air out of the way of the attack, landing on the opposite end of the sideways building.

"**You know you're not quite a dumb as I thought, using your new technique to make your sword stronger than mine was quite smart considering there the same sword.**" The hollow commented, smirking as he rested his sword across his shoulders.

'_Dammit, I was sure that my timing was perfect when I blocked that last strike.' _Ichigo thought in frustration.

"**But anything you can do…**" The hollow began as he held the white Zangetsu to his side and began to charge it with white spiritual pressure.

'_What?' _Ichigo thought in disbelief as he saw the technique he had learned just a short time ago being used by his inner hollow.

"**I can do better!**" The hollow roared as he charged Ichigo.

The strengthened swords collided, sending waves of spiritual pressure from either blade roaring across the wayward city, crashing into building and slicing them in half as the blades collided repeatedly.

"Bastard, when did you learn that technique?!" Ichigo yelled as the two clashed their blades together in a stalemate, sending spiritual energy ripping through the air as the two refused to let up even an inch, each firmly holding their blades in place.

"**Well if you're going to keep asking such stupid questions king then I suppose that I should answer just for the sake of shutting you up.**" The hollow joked, only feeding Ichigo's frustration with him. Immediately after this the hollow slashed his blade horizontally, ending the stalemate before jumping back and resting the white Zangetsu on his shoulders.

"**Like I said before, I'm Zangetsu…**" Ichigo's inner hollow began, grinning at Ichigo's discomfort.

"…**and that technique of yours still relies on the power of Zangetsu in order for it to work, therefore in order for you to have learned it I would have learned it as well.**" The hollow explained, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in shock.

"**You see king, as our relationship began to change so too did my form. I was once part of Zangetsu and as I said before we make up your spiritual pressure. When life is in control, flesh covers the bones, but when death takes over the bones become exposed.**" The hollow continued.

"**As my power increased, death took over and because of that Zangetsu then became a part of me. The more you tried to draw on the power of your zanpakuto, the more easily I could exercise control over your soul.**" The hollow stated, a wide smirk forming on his face as he saw Ichigo's eyes widen and beads of sweat begin to drop from his face.

'_If what he says is true then it makes sense that I nearly lost control when I was using my Bankai.' _Ichigo reasoned in thought as he absorbed what his hollow was telling him.

"**From the look on your face it seems that you're not too happy with hearing that information, hehehehe.**" The hollow laughed, reveling in Ichigo's shock.

"If what you say is true than all I have to do is defeat you and Zangetsu will once again take control." Ichigo said, readying his blade for battle as he finished.

"**If I was the one that brought you into your inner world for this little fight you would be right, but sadly…that is no longer the case**." The hollow replied cryptically, dropping his grin and readying himself to fight just as Ichigo had.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Ichigo questioned, growing tired of his inner hollow not explaining himself.

"**If by some miracle you manage to defeat me, then you'll find out!**" The hollow shouted as he charged Ichigo, his sword once again radiating white spirit energy.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body **_

"Come on, you've got to be able to do better than that!" Grimmjow roared as he batted Ichigo's sword away with his own repeatedly.

"Hahahahahahaha." Grimmjow laughed with a large grin present on his face as he fought.

"Raaaaaa." Ichigo screeched as his sword began to radiate, red tinted, black spiritual energy, surprising Grimmjow slightly.

"That's more like it!" Grimmjow yelled as he felt the strikes of the beat's zanpakuto strengthen tenfold from what they had been just a moment ago.

'_This should be fun.' _Grimmjow thought before using sonido to appear directly behind Ichigo, delivering a slash down his back.

Ichigo turned to swing his blade towards Grimmjow as his wound healed almost instantaneously, only to slash air as Grimmjow once again used sonido to appear on Ichigo's right side. Grimmjow delivered a heavy blow slicing from Ichigo's right shoulder to his left hip, causing him to fall to the ground and begin to spasm.

"Don't tell me you're done already?" Grimmjow taunted, sporting a grin of absolute bloodlust as he continued to enjoy the fight.

As Ichigo's body ceased it's spasms a large gray snake like entity emerged from his chest and began to charge Grimmjow in an attempt to eat him. In response Grimmjow simply grinned like a madman and brought his left arm up, a crimson ball of spiritual energy forming in his hand.

"Cero!" Grimmjow shouted, sending the devastating attack towards the snake like entity that had emerged from Ichigo's chest, effectively destroying it and covering the immediate battlefield with dust due to the collision.

"Raaaaa." Ichigo hissed as he emerged from the cloud of dust.

His form had once again changed. White spikes now protruded from his left shoulder and the white substance how covered the left side of his upper body, covering his hands and chest. His hands left hand now seemingly had retractable claws, and red marking appeared to be scattered on the surface of the arm.

"Looks like your hollowfying faster." Grimmjow stated before charging Ichigo once more, thus continuing their battle.

_**Observers **_

"My, my, it seems that Grimmjow is enjoying himself." Gin said in an amused tone as he watched Grimmjow mercilessly charge Ichigo.

"Perhaps a little bit too much." Nel commented, glaring at the Sexta Espada as he slashed at Ichigo with all the strength he could muster.

"If Grimmjow ends up killing the brat, then he will have done all of us a favor." Barragan stated, prompting Nel to turn to him with a glare.

"Relax Nelliel. Grimmjow is simply enjoying the fight and I can assure you that Ichigo will not be harmed." Aizen reassured, calming Nelliel slightly.

"The transformation process certainly is interesting. I wonder how long it will be before he is capable of using hollow techniques." Szayel wondered absentmindedly as he observed the battle.

"In his complete form he was capable of firing a cero if I recall." Starrk added, himself somewhat looking forward to seeing the extent of the hollow powers the boy possessed.

"Once his transformation reaches that point we shall find out, but in the meantime we must wait." Aizen replied.

"Nnoitora, you shall be the next to hold off the boy as he continues to battle his inner hollow, followed by Halibel." Aizen stated, eliciting a sickening grin from Nnoitora, but getting no visible reaction from the blonde haired Espada.

'_Finally, now I get to see what he is truly made of.' _Halibel thought in anticipation, smiling slightly under her high rise collar as she now finally had the chance to see the boy's power first hand.

_**Ichigo's Inner World**_

'_Dammit, I can feel my control slipping away the longer this fight goes on.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to clash with his hollow.

The two continued to cross blades, matching each other move for move until they interlocked their blades and came to a stalemate in the middle of a sideways skyscraper.

"**What's the matter king? You look worried.**" The hollow taunted, knowing that Ichigo was now likely getting worn down.

"Bastard!" Ichigo roared as he swung his blade and sent his hollow flying backwards across the building.

"This ends now!" Ichigo declared as he entered his Bankai stance and began to exude massive amounts of spiritual energy.

"Bankai!" Ichigo shouted, causing smoke to surround him as his sword took on its new form

"Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo whispered as he swiped his blade to his side in order to get rid of the smoke that had resulted from releasing his full power.

"**When will you learn…**" Ichigo's inner hollow trailed off as he mimicked Ichigo's previous action and entered Zangetsu's Bankai stance.

'_He can't possibly know how to do that.' _Ichigo thought in disbelief as he caught on to what his hollow was about to do.

"**Bankai!**" The hollow shouted with a sickening grin plastered to his face. The end result was exactly the same as Ichigo's release as smoke blocked his hollow from sight if only for a moment.

"**Hehehehehe, you really thought that you could end this fight with Bankai?**" Ichigo's inner hollow asked rhetorically as he began to spin the white Tensa Zangetsu by its chain.

"When the hell did you learn Bankai?!" Ichigo yelled, refusing to believe that this was happening.

"**You really are that clueless apparently. Very well king, if you must know, I learned it the exact same time you did.**" The hollow replied, the same sickening grin still etched on his features.

'_Impossible…' _Ichigo thought, his expression mirroring his disbelief.

"Getsuga…" Ichigo began as he raised his blade above his head and began to charge it with spiritual energy.

"Tenshou!" Ichigo roared as he sent the wave of spiritual pressure roaring towards his hollow.

"**Tch… don't make me laugh, king.**" The hollow taunted as he split the attack in half with his bare hand, redirecting the blast to either of his sides and destroying a building behind him in the process.

'_With his bare hand?' _Ichigo thought while his eyes widened in shock for the umpteenth time since their battle had started.

"**My turn!**" The hollow shouted as he disappeared from sight, only to reappear directly above Ichigo a moment later.

"**Hya.**" The hollow grunted as he once again caught Ichigo's blade in a stalemate, placing his free hand on the center of the blade's back end to reinforce his position.

"**Getsuga Tenshou.**" The white copy of Ichigo whispered, sending a torrent of white Getsuga crashing down on Ichigo, effectively destroying the building under them and severely injuring Ichigo in the process.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

Nnoitora was currently sending his axe-like weapon with crescent moon halves at Ichigo as if it were a bullet, repeatedly causing the creature to dodge or bat the large ranged weapon away with its own sword.

"You seem to be pretty decent versus ranged attacks." Nnoitora observed, grinning evilly as he stared down the hollowfying Soul Reaper.

"Let's see how you handle this." Nnoitora said as he stuck his tongue out and began to charge a golden cero on its tip.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." Ichigo screeched as his giant cleaver like Zanpakuto became engulfed by black spiritual pressure with a red outline.

The cero fired ripping through the sands and heading directly towards Ichigo, who made no attempt to get out if it's immediate path.

Ichigo held up the sword, radiating spiritual energy as he batted the cero away without any significant effort.

'_What the hell is that?' _Nnoitora wondered as he saw the sword undergo another transformation.

The sword was now Tensa Zangetsu, slim and all black, appearing to simply be nothing more than a regular Zanpakuto with a chain on the end of its grip.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." Ichigo roared as he charged Nnoitora, his sword glowing with black spiritual energy.

"Go ahead! You can't cut me!" Nnoitora gloated as he let his body become exposed to the imminent attack, only to be disproven a second later as Ichigo slashed straight down his torso, leaving a sizeable cut up and down his body.

'_What the hell?' _Nnoitora thought in disbelief as he brought his weapon up and began to engage Ichigo with his sword.

_**Observers **_

"Now this is something new." Starrk commented as he observed the change in Ichigo's blade.

"What the hell just happened?" Grimmjow wondered aloud, hoping someone would have a clue.

"The sword he is currently using is his Bankai, its shape and appearance is unmistakable. However I myself am not entirely sure why the blade seemed to change on its own." Aizen replied, himself not even having a direct answer to Grimmjow's question.

"Regardless of what it is, that sword is strong enough to penetrate Nnoitora's hierro." Halibel added, still sizing up the boys powers that had interested her since she first saw them.

"That is because he is mindlessly pouring his spiritual pressure within the confines of the blade. He attacked me when I was sent to tell him of Orihime Inoue's kidnapping. We locked blades and to my surprise he was capable of pushing me back by pouring spiritual pressure into his blade and making his strikes substantially stronger." Ulquiorra explained.

"However, this spiritual pressure is quite different from when he attacked me before. Now it is thick and dark, as if it were the spiritual pressure of a powerful hollow." Ulquiorra added.

"How powerful would you say his spiritual pressure is?" Starrk asked, as curious as everyone else was in regards to how the kid would end up ranking wise.

"I could not answer that directly seeing as I have not fought him in his completely hollowfied state." Ulquiorra replied.

'_Figures…' _Starrk thought as he released a sigh of slight annoyance.

'_The privilege of knowing his full power will hopefully fall to me.' _Halibel thought as she awaited her turn to battle with the hollow.

_**Ichigo's Inner World**_

"Y-you b-bastard." Ichigo whispered weakly, panting heavily as he recovered from being hit dead on by his own most powerful attack.

"**Can you feel it king?**" The hollow asked rhetorically.

"**I'm about to crush you, take your body, and tear your world to shreds!**" The hollow declared.

"**Now is when I keep my promise… now you will be the one to disappear!**" The hollow roared as he charged Ichigo once again.

Ichigo began to gather the black Getsuga in his blade and batted off the attack of his hollow immediately after the two swords made contact.

"If you think this is over, it's not…" Ichigo began staring directly at his hollow as the spiritual pressure built up in his blade began to flare with energy.

"Not by a long shot!" Ichigo roared as he sent a wave of black Getsuga with as much energy as he could muster flying straight at his inner hollow.

The hollow countered with his own Getsuga but only succeeded in slowing Ichigo's attack for a second before it broke through, still ripping through the air and aiming to eradicate the hollow.

"**Impossible…**" The hollow exclaimed as before his very eyes his attack was dominated and a torrent of spiritual pressure was still spiraling towards him.

**A/N Now the next chapter will be posted tomorrow, if you're worried about Vasto Lorde Ichigo not making an appearance, don't be because oh he will OH HE WILL. As for Orihime's dreamscape, It is essentially a hint that Aizen was being mischievous and planted a false perception within Orihime's mind, which was what he was referring to when he said her perception of events. Now for the reviews! **

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Sorry the update wasn't quicker, but tomorrow I will update as well, so you don't have to worry! Also I am glad I can entertain people, thanks for the compliment!

**friaku**: Thanks! I pride myself on my ability to update quickly and keep the quality high, if anything I hope the quality is getting better, but that's not really my call xD

**Unstoppable150**: I am also a fan of that moment, I thought it was rather sweet. However, Orihime does actually believe Ichigo is dead as she, in her perception due to Aizen implanting that in her mind, will relay this information to the others… that won't go over well, but rest assured this will not be the last we see of Ichigo and Orihime, regardless of whether or not she is in the Harem.

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: As I said before answering the reviews, that is coming and in all honesty it's something that even Aizen doesn't really expect to happen… but how could he?

**Rei Rusuragi**: As I said before, that is coming, and it will have a lot to do with what happens next… that is all I will say.

**darkmachines**: Thanks! Also, Ichigo may or may not become an arrancar, I never officially said that would happen :))

**sami217**: That's why I used it given the fact that things pick up a good bit within the next few chapters, a lot of fighting, a lot of action, and a lot of interesting reactions, but you will see what I mean when we get there!

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, and now you only have to wait a little more! (That doesn't mean the story will end soon… just need to clarify that)

**iampieman**: Maybe… also, are you really Pie Man…are you?

**Syynex**: LOL, well here you go and tomorrow you will get even more.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Thanks, I pride myself on the originality of this story given the fact that a lot of arrancar Ichigo stories have been done before, but none like this.

**Damaio The End**: Thanks, really glad you consider my story a 'gem' and hope to see more of you!

**S.R.457**: IT IS COMING! :) :) :) :) :)

**Ryden Purrson**: Well, Orihime's story is obv not what really will happen, but the fact that they kinda, sorta, believe Ichigo is dead has a lot to do with what happens next. Glad you liked the chapter, you will get more soon, and all I will say is that Ichigo doesn't exactly become an arrancar, and his transformation has a mysterious effect on others as well… but who will they be? What will the effects be? Why am I asking you? All of these are very good questions that will be answered in the near future, as in within the next few days since I feel like posting a bit and doing some writing atm.

**eragonfan117**: Yes, she has a good bit more guts in this story than in others, but I do want to stress that she will be a bit of a mess for a chapter or two due to the whole 'she believes the man she loved was killed in front of her' thing, but she will get over that and eventually… well, I really couldn't tell you that :)

**hornet07**: Hope the start of the storm was better than the calm!

**BleachFan21**: Well more on the Soul Society's end next chapter when Orihime wakes up, also I can say with absolute certainty that Ichigo will be the same… after a while because… well I can't say what happens now can I?

**QuasWexQuas**: Okay… so in order, he will, they all do eventually, thank you, can't say if he acutely becomes a hollow. Now, on the Devastating Consequences thing, I kind of agree, good story, a lot of mistakes in terms of canon and I also disliked the whole, make Ichigo lose his memory and become an OC even though he was still Ichigo. I won't do that and again I will say it, I WONT DO THAT! However, I may as well say that he wont be the same at first but that only lasts for a little bit of time… and by that, I mean very, very, very little time, like two to four Chapters max.


	17. The Beast Breaks Free

**A/N Okay, so one again a chapter will be posted tomorrow, after which I will likely not post until a little later in the week, but don't worry I will. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 17**

_**Ichigo's Inner World**_

"Y-you b-bastard." Ichigo whispered weakly, panting heavily as he recovered from being hit dead on by his own most powerful attack.

"**Can you feel it king?**" The hollow asked rhetorically.

"**I'm about to crush you, take your body, and tear your world to shreds!**" The hollow declared.

"**Now is when I keep my promise… now you will be the one to disappear!**" The hollow roared as he charged Ichigo once again.

Ichigo began to gather the black Getsuga in his blade and batted off the attack of his hollow immediately after the two swords made contact.

"If you think this is over, it's not…" Ichigo began staring directly at his hollow as the spiritual pressure built up in his blade began to flare with energy.

"Not by a long shot!" Ichigo roared as he sent a wave of spiritual pressure with as much energy as he could muster flying straight at his inner hollow.

The hollow countered with his own Getsuga but only succeeded in slowing Ichigo's attack for a second before it broke through, still ripping through the air and aiming to eradicate the hollow.

"**Impossible…**" The hollow exclaimed as before his very eyes his attack was dominated and a torrent of spiritual pressure was still spiraling towards him.

A massive explosion tore through Ichigo's inner world as the attack connected, demolishing several buildings and causing large amounts of smoke to cover the area of impact.

"Is it over…" Ichigo though aloud, only to have his brief glimmer of hope shattered a second later.

"**I'll admit that wasn't bad king…**" The voice of Ichigo's inner hollow began, causing Ichigo to turn and face the source of the voice with a look of anger plastered to his face.

"**But if you think for a moment that your little attack was going to beat me then you have another thing coming.**" The hollow stated, only now his characteristic grin was completely gone.

'_Bastard evaded the blast completely.' _Ichigo thought in frustration as he realized that his hollow had gotten out of the path of his attack.

"**You look like you're not in too good a shape king.**" The hollow taunted as he noticed Ichigo panting heavily.

Ichigo had not yet fully recovered from his hollows attack and was still bleeding due to it. His clothes were torn, and his counter attack left him in a state of temporary immobility.

"**The difference in our current states shows the difference of how we each use Bankai.**" The hollow began his characteristic grin returning.

"**I was the first of us to use Getsuga Tenshou when using Bankai. You tried to imitate my technique but failed miserably.**" The hollow said before appearing directly in front of Ichigo, gripping the blade of the black Zangetsu before continuing.

"**You see deep down you must realize that you're a failure.**" The hollow stated as Ichigo's Bankai began to become white before his very eyes.

"**You see king, you're not good enough to use Bankai.**" The hollow stated as Ichigo's sword disintegrated in his hand, leaving him completely defenseless.

'_Impossible… Zangetsu… h-he's gone…' _Ichigo thought as his mind refused to process that his sword simply vanished in the palm of his hand.

"**Hahahahahahaha!**" The hollow cackled as he disappeared to the other end of the building the two were currently fighting on.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body **_

'_When is he going to transform further?' _Halibel though in annoyance as she effortlessly blocked Ichigo's strikes.

'_What's this?' _Halibel wondered as Ichigo abruptly stopped charging her mindlessly and stood in the same spot just staring at her with those black and yellow eyes of his.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." Ichigo screeched as a massive amount of black spiritual pressure, exactly the same color as his Getsuga, began to swirl around him, encircling his body and signaling that his transformation was nearing its final stage.

"Perfect." Halibel muttered as she allowed a smile to creep it's way on her face under her mask.

The spiritual pressure subsided, revealing Ichigo to be in his full form. His hair elongated and a tail appeared to be extending out if the center of his back. Red marking appeared all over his body, and his hollow mask allowed his right eye to be seen completely uncovered. His appearance was monstrous and he looked as if his soul purpose was to kill.

"Now then…" Halibel began as she unzipped her vest.

"Let's get started." Halibel said as she charged Ichigo with blinding speed, her vest waving in the air as the wind flew past her.

_**Observers **_

"Halibel seems to have gotten quite serious." Gin commented upon seeing the speed that Halibel was fighting Ichigo.

"What's gotten in to her?" Nnoitora wondered aloud, more so because he wished to know how to get Halibel to fight him without holding back.

"It would seem that she is eager to test the boy's powers." Aizen replied, smiling slightly at the prospect of seeing more of Ichigo's capabilities upon being pressured by a top Espada.

'_Ichigo… is that really you?' _Nel thought as she frowned at the monster that Ichigo had become as a result of his transformation.

"Hey, don't worry…" Starrk began as he nudged Nel, noticing that she was frowning at the battle in front of them.

"Halibel won't take this too far. She's not one to get carried away." Starrk reassured, becoming slightly worried as he noticed her frown only deepen.

"I'm not worried about that." Nel replied calmly.

'_She must not want to see that kid in such a monstrous state. Even so, it's still strange to see an arrancar care at all for a Soul Reaper.' _Starrk thought as he redirected his attention to the battle once more.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

'_Let's test to see how far his regenerative capabilities go.' _Halibel thought before she began to use sonido to move around Ichigo's body, delivering a slash to his torso each time she appeared.

"Raaaaaaaaa." The beast roared as he began to slash around him sporadically in an attempt to strike at his opponent. After several more wounds were inflicted Halibel used sonido to put some distance between the two in an attempt to observe his regenerative capabilities.

'_His regeneration is fast… and it appears that he is regenerating the tissue and muscle in the deeper wounds I inflicted.' _Halibel thought as she saw the wounds healed in a flood of white before her eyes.

'_If he can regenerate muscle than a limb shouldn't be so much of a stretch.' _Halibel thought as the creature charged her, swinging it's blade almost too fast for her to keep up.

Halibel used sonido to evade the strikes appearing above the creature and lopping off his left arm, completely cutting through the flesh and bone. A moment later Halibel landed on the ground and turned her attention back to Ichigo.

"Let's see if I was correct." Halibel hoped as she eyed the wound she had inflicted.

Ichigo made not a sound as a new limb spouted from the stub that was left of his left arm. He flexed the new arm briefly before extending the new limb towards Halibel, a ball of crimson energy forming in its palm.

'_So he does indeed possess true regeneration… now I get to see how strong that cero of his really is.' _Halibel thought as she extended her left hand and pointed her index finger towards Ichigo, a yellow cero forming on its tip.

The two cero fired at the exact same time, colliding with one another as crimson met golden-yellow, creating a massive explosion due to the sheer power put behind them. Dust roared from the ground making the battlefield invisible for a brief period of time.

_**Observers**_

"That was a risky move." Starrk commented as he began questioning Halibel's decision to lop of the creatures arm.

"Referring to what? The cero she fired at full strength or severing an arm?" Grimmjow joked, earning a glare from Nelliel.

"I am sure that Halibel was aware that her actions would not backfire, after all she isn't one to act so rashly." Tosen commented, prompting Aizen to nod in agreement.

"Even so, it seems that his cero is easily as strong as that of a top Espada." Starrk commented, bringing the tone of the conversation back to analysis.

"True… that simply means that the Espada will be short one member." Gin joked, grinning from ear to ear as he turned to face the arrancar.

"Simply because that brat can fire a powerful cero does not mean he is an equal to an Espada." Barragan exclaimed, seemingly aggravated by the implication.

"Scared for your rank Barragan?" Nelliel questioned in an emotionless tone, eliciting chuckles from several of the Espada who could easily predict the arrogant arrancar's response.

"What was that you little insect?!" Barragan shouted, hating to be compared to those who he viewed to be lesser than himself.

"He may appear strong, but he is only an adjuchas class hollow where as I am a Vasto Lorde and you will learn to respect my power girl!" Barragan exclaimed, eliciting no reaction from Nelliel who was disgusted by the aged arrancar's arrogance.

"Lord Aizen, is something troubling you?" Ulquiorra asked, noticing that Aizen had been deep in thought ever since Ichigo entered his completely hollowfied state.

"It worries me that he has hollowfied so soon." Aizen thought aloud, confusing everyone present.

"Why might that be Lord Aizen?" Gin questioned, speaking for everyone.

"From what I have been able to gather, the speed of hollowfication reflects the internal struggle with one's hollow. Since he is transforming rapidly, he must be losing. This worries me because he must win in order for him to be transformed. Should he be unsuccessful in this, we will have to intervene, and the process will start again and again until he succeeds." Aizen replied, a slight frown illustrating how much of an annoyance this turn of events was to him.

'_Ichigo… win this fight and come back already.' _Nel thought with worry as she turned back to the battle.

_**Soul Society: 4**__**th**__** Division Barracks**_

"Mmmm." Orihime murmured as she began to toss and turn in her bed, causing each and every person in the room to jump up in surprise.

"She's awakening, inform Captain Unohana." Isane ordered, prompting several of the other Soul Reapers to scatter in search for her.

"Orihime…" Rukia whispered as she gently grasped Orihime's hand.

"R-Rukia… is that you?" Orihime asked in a quiet tone as she began to slowly open her eyes.

"Yes Orihime, it's me." Rukia replied, smiling now that she knew her friend was okay.

"Make way for the captain!" Isane shouted from down the hall, alerting everyone to her presence.

"Orihime…" Unohana began as she entered the room, immediately coming to the side of the formerly unconscious girl.

"Are you well?" Unohana asked, prompting Orihime to nod in response.

"Can you remember what happened?" Rukia asked.

'_Ichigo…' _Orihime thought sadly as tears began to make their way down her face.

"Orihime, what's wrong?" Rukia questioned, concern being evident in her voice.

"T-this is something that everyone will need to hear…" Orihime began as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Orihime!" Yoruichi shouted as she and a group of Soul Reaper's entered the room.

"I would ask that you not crowd the girls so soon after she has woken up." Unohana advised, giving them her sweet smile that promised doom to those who did not listen to her.

"Y-yes Retsu, w-wha-whatever you say." Kyoraku replied as his skin paled, failing to keep his fear from showing in his voice.

"How long was I out?" Orihime asked as she rubbed her head.

"You exited a Garganta and were expelled with such a force that you landed in Karakura town. Had you been an ordinary human…" Unohana replied, not wanting to dampen the girl's mood.

"It's okay… I'm sure you all want to know what happened." Orihime mused, her expression saddening noticeably as she finished.

"You will not have to speak until we have gathered all of the squad captains and their lieutenants in the meeting room." Unohana said, not wanting to push the girl so far as she had just regained consciousness.

"What I need to say is something that needs to be known as soon as possible." Orihime stated in all seriousness, confusing a great number of Soul Reapers in the room.

"What do you mean by that Orihime?" Urahara questioned, believing that the news was dire given her expression.

"I will tell you what happened when the meeting is called… Rukia, I believe you should be there as well." Orihime said, meeting no resistance as everyone in the room bowed slightly before leaving.

"We will see to it that the captains are gathered as soon as possible, I would recommend that you head over to the squad one meeting room when you are able." Kyoraku stated as he left the room.

'_This isn't going to be easy on anyone…' _Orihime thought as tears once again found their way into her eyes.

_**Soul Society: Captain's Meeting Room (Some Time Later) **_

"I hereby call this meeting to order… Miss Inoue, if you would. Please give us your report on the events that lead to your capture." Yamamoto bellowed.

"Where would you like me to start?" Orihime asked sheepishly, not used to being the center of attention when she entered a room.

"Why don't you start off with when you were kidnapped?" Urahara suggested, prompting several other captains to nod in agreement.

"I was leaving the Soul Society and nearing the end of the Dangai… I could see the world of the living…" Orihime began.

"Suddenly a hole appeared in front of me and the group of Soul Repapers who were guarding me. A human looking arrancar stepped out of it… I now know that his name was Ulquiorra. He told me that I was to go with him at once and that Aizen wanted to speak with me." Orihime continued, saddening slightly at the memory of what had happened next.

"The Soul Reapers who were with me refused to allow that to happen and they raised their blades to defend me… I tried to stop them but… but I was too late and Ulquiorra cut through them all in the blink of an eye." Orihime said before being interrupted.

"A blink of an eye you say?" Kyoraku asked, curious as to what the girl meant by her choice of words.

"Yes… I've seen Ichigo use flash step and what Ulquiorra used was quite similar. From what I could determine the only difference was the distinctive sound it made… almost like that of a buzz of static." Orihime replied, shocking some of the captains.

"This is most interesting considering that we have yet to hear of an arrancar using such a technique." Kurotsuchi stated, grinning like a madman at the prospect of examining the arrancar further.

"Were there any other techniques that you were able to see Orihime?" Urahara asked, extremely hopeful that they would get to learn more about the arrancar, who had been extremely inactive since Orihime had been kidnapped.

"When I was in Las Noches… one arrancar appeared to have a grudge against me for some reason, but regardless of her motives she shot an attack at me in her rage which at first I thought to be a cero but it was… different." Orihime said before being cut off.

"Wait, you were attacked by an arrancar?!" Rukia questioned out of heavy concern.

"They were not acting on orders and Ulquiorra blocked the attack before it landed. Aizen said that I was not to be harmed and Ulquiorra threatened to kill them before they left in fear." Orihime replied, trying to reassure everyone that she was quite alright during her stay for the most part.

"More on this attack…" Kurotsuchi trailed off, wanting to get as much information on the arrancar as was possible.

"Right… the attack was quite similar to a cero but it was extremely fast. I saw her hand exude some kind of static and a red ball formed over her fist. That was why I thought it was a cero at first but it launched faster than I could react. It clearly didn't have as much power but because I misjudged what it was I nearly died." Orihime stated, causing the mood of several of the captains to dampen at her words.

'_All of these terrible things happen to this girl and they ended with her unconscious lying in a crater somewhere in Karakura town. What's more the first thing we have her do after she wakes up is talk about it_…' Kyoraku thought guiltily, having similar thoughts as some of the more compassionate captains.

"We can discuss this revelation later… continue girl." Yamamoto ordered, bringing the focus of the conversation back to Orihime's story.

"Yes sir. After the Soul Reapers were cut down I refused to go with him… but he threatened to kill my friends and I knew from the way he was speaking that he could do it if he wanted… so I had no choice and went with him." Orihime said, shocking many of the captains.

"You went willingly?" Yamamoto asked, the tone of his voice suggesting that what the girl did had negative implications.

"I did." Orihime replied, prompting Yamamoto to stroke his beard, as if thinking of how to proceed with his judgment of her actions.

"Given the circumstances, if you did indeed go because of your friends being threatened then it is my determination that the information you can provide outweighs your poor choice of judgment." Yamamoto stated, prompting many Soul Reapers in the room to sigh out of relief.

"I remember asking him if I could heal the members of the party that he had cut up… he said I couldn't and had me walk through the Garganta, leaving the Soul Reapers dead." Orihime said, pausing for a moment before proceeding.

"Did any of those men survive?" Orihime asked, hopeful that the answer would be yes.

"I'm sorry Orihime… there was nothing we could do." Isane said with a saddened expression, expecting the girl to have a negative reaction.

'_So it is as I though.' _Orihime thought as she hung her head slightly out of guilt for causing their deaths.

"I entered a palace called Las Noches which is a massive fortress in Hueco Mundo." Orihime continued, pausing as she expected questions to be raised by the captains present.

"So you're saying that Aizen constructed a palace in Hueco Mundo?" Urahara questioned, being the ever curious scientist that he was.

"Yes… Las Noches was colossal. It is where Aizen lives alongside the arrancar and the other two captains that defected with him." Orihime replied.

"Can you give us any additional information on this stronghold?" Yamamoto questioned, hopeful that the girl could shed more light on Aizen's foothold in Hueco Mundo.

"From what I could tell it didn't seem like it was penetrable. Aizen seemed to have a security system that alerted him to anything that happened around Las Noches or any entrances to Hueco Mundo." Orihime replied.

"I see…" Yamamoto said as he stroked his beard, slightly disappointed after hearing what the girl had to say about Aizen's fortress.

"Ulquiorra brought me into the throne room and Aizen told me that I was there because I was too much of an indirect threat due to my ability to heal nearly any wound." Orihime continued once no more questions were asked.

"He asked me to heal the arm of the big arrancar that lost his arm to Ichigo when he went to the world of the living. I did as I was asked, then I was taken to my room by one of the arrancar that watched the demonstration." Orihime said, frowning as she remembered feeling so alone in that room, almost losing hope at the thought of never being able to see those closest to her again.

"My life was quite similar for the next few days until I had an unexpected visitor… one day, Ulquiorra came in and there was Ichigo along with three small arrancar." Orihime said, fighting back tears in her eyes. Her words had more gravity than she had thought as each and every Soul Reaper in the room widened their eyes at the mention of Ichigo's name.

"Orihime, you saw Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked, her voice being full of hope and worry.

"Yes… at first I was so happy that he was there I didn't even question why he was there or how he got there." Orihime began, smiling as she remembered seeing Ichigo walk through the door to her room.

"Aizen called us down to the throne room and that's when I found out why Ichigo was there…" Orihime said before pausing, leaving all of the other Soul Reapers slightly worried.

"Why was he there Orihime?" Urahara questioned, dreading that he was the one to speak as he saw tears begin to fall down Orihime's cheeks.

"Aizen had kidnapped me to get Ichigo to come to Las Noches without leaving even a trace behind." Orihime said, her voice not affected by her tears.

"That's not all… Aizen told Ichigo that he would let me go and leave me unharmed if he stayed in Las Noches." Orihime continued.

"The way Ichigo spoke to me when he first saw me… I knew I wasn't going to talk him out of it… I felt like such a burden. Even so, I was happy that he was there so I could finally say something I've wanted to say to him for quite some time." Orihime said, causing many Soul Reapers to raise an eyebrow out of curiosity at the girl's words.

"Aizen let us say our goodbye's I told him… that I… I love him, and I kissed him on his lips feeling happy for the first time since I had come to Las Noches…" Orihime began, causing Yoruichi and Rukia to stiffen slightly at her words and most of the Soul Reapers to smile sadly as the girl continued to speak.

"So you left then Orihime? Is Ichigo still in Las Noches?" Urahara questioned, being the only one who dared to speak after the girl paused.

"After that… I did leave… but the only thing of Ichigo that is left in Las Noches is his lifeless body." Orihime sobbed out, openly crying as she remembered what Aizen had done to Ichigo.

At her words each and every person in the room, be it hardened captain or battle shy lieutenant widened their eyes in shock and gave an involuntary wince.

"As I left… Aizen caught Ichigo off guard and stabbed his blade though his heart… I watched and fell to my knees as I saw the life drain from his eyes and his body fall to the ground." Orihime sobbed out, devastated at the loss of the man she loved.

'_What? Ichigo can't be dead.' _Rukia thought as she felt her heart fill with regret of things unsaid.

'_This can't be happening…' _Yoruichi thought in disbelief as she fought back tears that threatened to form in her eyes.

"This is ridiculous! I'll cut that bastard down myself for taking away my favorite sparring partner!" Kenpatchi exclaimed, his spiritual pressure flaring as his anger grew.

"Captain Zaraki, I would ask that you keep your rage contained for the moment." Unohana chastised, not believing it proper to say something like that when Orihime was still present in the room.

"Now hold on a minute…" Urahara began bringing everyone out of their thoughts for a moment.

"Aizen has the power of Kyoka Suigetsu, so it is entirely possible that this could be a trick… for all we know Ichigo never went to Las Noches." Urahara said, albeit with some hesitation out of sensitivity towards Orihime's feelings.

"Ichigo Kurosaki is an asset in the winter war and his disappearance is something that we need to be confirmed!" Yamamoto bellowed, hushing everyone in the room.

"Therefore, I am authorizing a task force which will be dispatched to Hueco Mundo in order to find the truth of whether or not the Substitute Soul Reaper is indeed deceased." Yamamoto declared somewhat to the surprise of those present.

"Kisuke Urahara, how soon can you have a Garganta opened?" Yamamoto questioned.

"I can have it opened and calibrated to Hueco Mundo within twenty four hours." Urahara replied, being uncharacteristically serious.

"You are all dismissed for now, but all captains and lieutenants are to report here tomorrow in order for me to select a task force to perform this assignment." Yamamoto stated before everyone dispersed and exited the meeting room.

_**Outside the Captain's Meeting Room **_

"Orihime, are you going to be all right?" Rukia asked, worried for her friend as she walked out of the captain's meeting room with Urahara, Yoruichi, and Soifon in toe.

"Rukia… I'm so sorry, I know that you…" Orihime said before she was silenced by an index finger being placed on her mouth.

"Don't worry about it Orihime, all I'm concerned with at the moment is your wellbeing." Rukia lied, causing as sad smile to form on Orihime's lips.

"I'm fine Rukia I came to terms with what I know to be true when I was unconscious… still, it doesn't make it any less difficult to bear." Orihime said, placing a hand over her heart as if pain were emanating from it.

"Let's go, we need to get you back to squad four so you can completely recover." Rukia said as she began to lead Orihime towards the fourth division barracks.

"Yoruichi, are you alright?" Urahara asked, not having missed Yoruichi's saddened expression upon hearing of Ichigo's possible demise.

"Of course she is, why wouldn't she be?" Soifon asked, only to get an uncharacteristic glare from Urahara in response.

"It's alright Kisuke… I'm fine." Yoruichi replied, leaving Soifon completely confused as to what the two were talking about.

'_Does this have to do with Ichigo Kurosaki?' _Soifon wondered as she thought back on the meeting the three had just left.

"When we get back to the world of the living we can check his body's pulse… if it's still there, than he is alive and well." Urahara stated, trying to reassure Yoruichi.

"Lady Yoruichi, what is this man talking about?" Soifon questioned, becoming worried as she noticed Yoruichi's demeanor sadden.

"It's nothing my little bee. Just… give me time before I talk to you about it." Yoruichi replied, giving a slight smile to Soifon, who was blushing slightly at being called her old nickname.

"I understand Lady Yoruichi. Whatever it is that's troubling you… I will be there if you need me." Soifon said, giving Yoruichi a slight bow.

"Alright Yoruichi, let's get going home." Urahara said as he began to walk away.

"You're leaving already?" Soifon asked, a slight amount of worry evident in her tone.

"If you wish to come with us you can… personally, I need to get ready for when the team goes into Hueco Mundo to find out what happened to Ichigo." Yoruichi replied, shocking Soifon slightly.

"Y-yo-you're going with the reconnaissance team?" Soifon asked with wide eyes, eliciting a nod in response.

"What better way to get a job done right?" Yoruichi mused.

"If you are going then I shall accompany you." Soifon declared, making Urahara chuckle slightly, only to stop a moment later as she turned to glare at him.

"Alright, let's get going, shall we?" Yoruichi chirped as she began to walk towards the gates of the Soul Society.

'_I just hope to God that Ichigo's pulse really is still there when we return.' _Urahara silently prayed as he too began to walk towards the gate that connected the Soul Society to the world of the living.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division Barracks**_

"Rukia, are you alright?" Ukitake questioned, noting that she had not displayed any outward emotion during the meeting.

"I'm fine Captain Ukitake, but your concern is appreciated." Rukia replied, giving him a slight smile.

"I know Ichigo was your friend and I want you to know if you need to talk about it my door is always open." Ukitake stated as he walked Rukia to her quarters.

"I appreciate the offer captain but really I'm fine." Rukia reassured him as she walked into her room and shut the door.

'_Of all the things you excel at you are a horrible liar Rukia.' _Ukitake thought as he walked away from her room.

'_Ichigo… why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave me?' _Rukia thought as she collapsed on her bed and began to openly cry, not even making an attempt to quell the streams of tears that fell down her cheeks due to restraining them since she first heard the news.

"I'm not sure if I should be more upset that you allowed yourself to die, or sad that you did." Rukia thought aloud as she continued to cry her heart out into her pillow, releasing all the feelings she had repressed during the meeting so that she could be strong for her friend.

_**Ichigo's Inner World **_

"**You're here without your weapon and without a chance of victory. Tell me Ichigo, can you feel your life slipping away before your very eyes?**" The hollow taunted, grinning evilly as he did so.

"**You know there's a big difference between you and I… It'd be quite a shame if you died without knowing what that difference is…**" The hollow began as he spun the white Zangetsu by its chain.

"**Can you tell me the difference between a king and his horse?**" The white Ichigo asked, only succeeding in confusing Ichigo.

"**I'm not talkin about the obvious stuff, like one of them is an animal and the others a person.**" The hollow exclaimed.

"**You see form, ability, and power. That's what's puzzling… if these three traits are identical, then why is it that one is the king who leads them into battle while the other is a horse who carries the king? What is the characteristic that distinguishes these two beings?**" The hollow questioned rhetorically.

'_What the hell is he getting at?' _Ichigo wondered as he tried to find the strength to move.

"**You see there's only one right answer…**" The hollow began as he gained a confident smirk.

"**Instinct!**" The hollow shouted, his smirk becoming a full-fledged grin.

"**In order for identical beings to become stronger they need to develop a killer instinct and that instinct is mostly crafted through battle. That is why they must develop an insatiable hunger to engage in battle. They must live to kill, live to grow stronger. Deep within everyone is this killer instinct.**" The hollow explained.

"**But my friend I'm afraid you don't have that. You'd prefer to use your brain in a battle instead of slaughtering your enemies with force. You refuse to use the killer instinct that exists within the core of your being.**" The hollow taunted as he brought his sword back as if making to throw it at Ichigo.

"**You're weak Ichigo!**" The hollow shouted, throwing his sword and piercing Ichigo though through the center of his stomach.

'_Dammit…'_ Ichigo thought as he grasped the blade that had pierced through his skin with one of his hands.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ichigo roared as an unbelievable amount of black spiritual energy began to surround him, causing everyone's eyes to widen as they sensed the dark and deadly powerful essence that seemed to be coming from Ichigo.

The winds whipped, sending dust everywhere as the spiritual pressure began to spread as if it were a virus on the surface of the desert.

'_What is this immense spiritual pressure… it feels like it's pulling me towards it.' _Halibel thought in amazement she stared at the huge amount of dark spiritual pressure that surrounded Ichigo.

"What the hell is going on?" Starrk exclaimed as the spiritual energy continued to whip and flare around Ichigo, seemingly having no end to the amount that was being created.

"I thought he was already done transforming?!" Grimmjow thought aloud as he covered his eyes in order to keep the winds from whipping sand into them.

'_This is an unexpected turn of events.' _Aizen thought as he could feel the torrent of spiritual pressure

'_Ichigo, what's happening to you?' _Nel wondered, extremely worried for Ichigo's wellbeing as she could feel herself being pulled towards the source of the dark spiritual pressure due to its sheer force.

_**Las Noches**_

On a platform overlooking the outlying desert the fraccion of the Espada sat, dumbstruck as they felt a large release of spiritual energy off in the distance.

"What the hell is that?!" Apacci exclaimed as she could feel the immense spiritual pressure that flowed from far off in the desert.

"This spiritual pressure…" Mila Rose trailed off, sweating slightly as she wondered what kind of being was capable of such power.

"It's coming from where the Espada and Lord Aizen currently reside." Findorr stated as he pointed off to the source of the dark spiritual energy.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?! We should at least be there to help them if they need it." Apacci roared, not wanting to wait and do nothing.

"Why on earth would we intervene when all the Espada are present?" Sung-Sun asked, irritating Apacci greatly.

"What's the matter, are you scared Sung-Sun?" Apacci taunted, only to have to opposite effect.

"And with that kind of spiritual pressure you're not?" Sung-Sun retorted causing Apacci's response to die in her mouth.

"You can all stay here and act like babies but I'm going to help Starrk." Lilynette stated before using sonido to leave the platform.

"Damn brat." Apacci muttered before she too used sonido to go after Lilynette, followed shortly by Sung-Sun and Mila Rose.

"Do you believe we should go as well?" Po asked to his fellow fraccion.

"Lord Barragan has absolute power. He has no need of our help as long as he is there." Findorr stated, eliciting a nod of agreement form the other members of Barragan's fraccion.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

"What in Hueco Mundo is that?" Halibel exclaimed as the waves of spiritual pressure subsided, revealing Ichigo in a completely different form to be standing where it had coalesced.

"Impossible…" Barragan exclaimed as his eyes locked on Ichigo's new form.

"He can't be… can he?" Starrk wondered aloud as one by one the Espada along with Aizen and his fellow Soul Reapers gazed upon the terrifying beast that had emerged from the center of the dark spiritual pressure.

**A/N I know I suck, but I am posting the next chapter tomorrow so you have to love me! So Vasto Lorde Ichigo is revealed, and Ichigo is getting manhandled in his fight with his hollow… for now. So again next chapter will be tomorrow and I hope I can make it as good as people expect it to be. **

**jack hopper**: Glad you like the story, and they will each have a reaction as the fight starts.

**Guest**: Well, his Quincy powers won't come into play unless I decide to do a sequel. Also, the Hogyoku does have an interesting effect on Ichigo, but no it won't be a completely different being within him.

**darkmachines**: This chapter I needed to get Orihime's explanation in so in the future I can have stuff happen, but don't worry, hollow Ichigo does fight the Espada in the next chapter.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Hopefully this chapter was good as well!

**eragonfan117**: You only have to wait one more day and then HE WILL BE FIGTHING, but for the rest, I will clarify everything when the time comes, but no one will see what I have planned coming.

**Mexican ninja1996**: I take pride in that fact!

**SSJ3Kyuubi Gohan**: Now its hollowfying hollow Vasto Lorde Ichigo :)

**metsfan101**: Thanks! Also I have read the first twenty chapters of your story and will review once I finish the rest.

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: No, Aizen is not hoping hollow Ichigo wins the fight, the only reason Nnoitora got injured was because he was being an arrogant dumb ass. The others are mostly testing his powers, except Grimmjow who was having fun, and Yammy, who got manhandled again because outside his release he isn't that powerful.

**sami117**: Thanks!

**iampieman**: I agree, unfortunate for Orihime and even more so that the fact she told everyone will result in something else, and believe me when I say Aizen had a reason for making them believe Ichigo was dead, even if a few would be skeptical, Orihime's reaction makes it very, very believable, at least to most. Also I KNEW IT!

**BleachFan21**: Thanks! Also, I hope this chapter was as good as you hoped it would be.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Now you don't have to wait and no I won't tell ^^

**QuasWexQuas**: Glad you liked the chapter!

**Damaio The End**: He will be let out to play so to speak next chapter and he will basically blow up half the desert, but that is a teaser for now…

**friaku**: Thanks, really happy you think the story is getting better and better. Hueco Mundo doesn't really effect Ichigo's hollow though, couldn't really make that happen given the fact that Ichigo's hollow is SPOILER ALERT his zanpakuto, so I settled with another hollow transformation as Ichigo begins to lose the fight.

**Fire0770**: That was the intent and glad you like the story!


	18. To Tame the Beast

**A/N Well here is the not so long awaited conclusion to the phase of the story that Ichigo becomes an arrancar. The next chapter will either be posted later this week, maybe Friday, Saturday or Sunday. So without any more interruptions other than the disclaimer here we go. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 18 **

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

"What in Hueco Mundo is that?" Halibel exclaimed as the waves of spiritual pressure subsided, revealing Ichigo in a completely different form to be standing where it had coalesced.

"Impossible…" Barragan exclaimed as his eyes locked on Ichigo's new form.

"He can't be… can he?" Starrk wondered aloud as one by one the Espada along with Aizen and his fellow Soul Reapers gazed upon the terrifying beast that had emerged from the center of the dark spiritual pressure.

Ichigo stood upright in battle torn Soul Reaper clothes, which only covered his legs but left a small amount of his left leg exposed. His zanpakuto still appeared to be the same as it was prior but the stance in which he held the blade appeared more human than before.

Tuffs of red fur appeared around his wrists and ankles, coupled with retractable claws that made themselves evident on his hands and feet. His body was slim but muscular, and the wild orange hair that reached down to his lower back was now much better kept, yet still appeared feral. A hollow hole appeared at the dead center of his chest and black tribal markings emanated from it, spreading out across his chest.

The most defining characteristic of the new form was undoubtedly the hollow mask on his face. His mask took on the appearance of a human skull, save for the sharpened teeth that Ichigo now sported. His eyes appeared blank unless one was extremely close to him and black tribal markings ran down his eyes, stopping at the bottom of his cheeks. The most frightening characteristic of the mask, however, were the horns that protruded from the sides of his head, long and sharp, giving him the appearance of a demon.

"This spiritual pressure… that human form… he is unmistakable a Vasto Lorde class hollow." Halibel stated in awe as she gazed upon Ichigo's terrifying form.

"Starrk!" Lilynette shouted as she appeared via sonido, extremely relieved that her partner was still alive after sensing so much spiritual pressure being exuded in the surrounding area.

"Lilynette, stay back!" Starrk ordered, not yet knowing just how powerful this new form of Ichigo's was.

"Lady Halibel!" Apacci exclaimed as she entered the area where the massive amounts of spiritual pressure emanated, immediately followed by Mila Rose and Sung-Sun.

'_What the hell is that?' _The four fraccion thought in fear as their eyes came to rest on the terrifying hollow that was before them.

"Ladies, stay back!" Halibel ordered as she regained her composure from her daze of shock.

"Let's see if you truly are as powerful as I believe." Halibel said cut her left index finger, drawing blood as she lifted her hand up and pointed said index finger at Ichigo. She began to charge a neon yellow cero at the tip of her finger, preparing to release one of two most powerful cero known to hollows.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Halibel shouted sending the attack directly at Ichigo.

Much to the surprise of everyone observing the skirmish, the creature leaned forward and began to charge a crimson cero in between the two horns that protruded form it's head.

As Halibel's Gran Rey Cero neared, the beast released the cero that had been charging between its two horns, instantly crushing though Halibel's cero as if it was nothing. The massive blast tore through the ground leaving nothing but ashes of what was in its path as it raced toward Halibel.

"Bakudo 81, Danku." Aizen uttered, forming an invisible barrier in front of Halibel, which held long enough for her to use sonido to get out of the way before it shattered.

The cero detonated, having hit a rock formation which was immediately behind Halibel, creating a massive explosion ascending to the sky even higher than the great stronghold of Las Noches.

'_That was a powerful cero.' _Every observer thought similarly as they stared wide eyed at the torrent of flames that had erupted form the cero's detonation.

"He tore through the Gran Rey Cero of a top Espada as if it was nothing… just what exactly is this thing?" Starrk exclaimed, eyes widened as he witnessed the destructive power of Ichigo's cero.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The beast roared as it began to flare its spiritual pressure before charging another cero in between its horns and aiming it directly at the group of Espada.

"Get out of the way, now!" Aizen ordered an expression of slight worry present on his features, prompting each and every arrancar to use sonido to get as far away from the path of Ichigo's cero as possible.

The massive cero ripped through the very foundation of Hueco Mundo, creating a practical earthquake as it roared through the sands. Ichigo began to shift his head, increasing the area the cero covered, effectively turning the entity of the area in front of him into a colossal display of fireworks.

As the cero dissipated between his horns, a massive explosion could be seen far off in the distance along the path the in the desert that the cero had ripped through. The explosion could be seen throughout Hueco Mundo, sending winds ripping through the air as a result of the explosions immense power.

_**Las Noches: Platform Overlooking the Desert of Hueco Mundo**_

"What the hell is that?" Findorr exclaimed as he gazed upon the massive explosion that appeared to have turned a chunk of Hueco Mundo's desert a parking lot.

"Hold on!" Po shouted as the massive gusts of wind began to drift over Las Noches, nearly taking each arrancar that was present on the balcony with them.

"What kind of power is this?" Ggio exclaimed, as each of the arrancar present were sweating in fear of what could possibly possess such raw power.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body **_

"Hold on Lilynette." Starrk ordered as he made to shield Lilynette from the winds that resulted from the massive cero detonation.

'_Fight back Ichigo, I know that thing isn't you.' _Nel silently hoped as she shielded her eyes form the torrent of wind that was ripping through the battlefield.

"What is it doing now?" Lilynette questioned as the wind died down and Ichigo appeared to cease his movements after firing off his devastating cero.

"You four should not have come… this is an unforeseen turn of events which must be dealt with immediately." Aizen stated upon turning his attention to the fraccion that had entered the battlefield. The four arrivals immediately used sonido to get as far away as possible from the creature as they could, not wanting to interfere with whatever was going on at the moment.

"Considering that thing just leveled a good portion of the desert with a cero, I would agree." Grimmjow stated placed his hand on the side of his zanpakuto, getting into his sword release stance.

"No Grimmjow, there is no need for that." Aizen stated, prompting Grimmjow to resheathe his zanpakuto after releasing a low growl of annoyance.

"What should we do now, Lord Aizen?" Tosen questioned as he and Gin began to unsheathe their zanpakuto, one of whom had a wide grin on his face as he eyed the terrifying monster the boy had become.

"That won't be necessary, I will restrain him myself." Aizen stated before using flash step to appear before the creature, which had made no movements whatsoever since it had leveled a good portion of the nearby desert.

'_It would seem that it is harmless for the time being… this should at least work to my advantage.' _Aizen thought as he raised his hand at Ichigo's hollowfied form.

"Hado 90, Kurohitsugi." Aizen said, causing a black box to begin to enclose around Ichigo, who simply watched the black coffin seemingly out of confusion.

Before the black coffin could fully enclose on the demonic creature the buzz of sonido could be heard, only for Ichigo's fully hollowfied form to appear next to Aizen a moment later, blade raised and ready to strike.

'_What?' _Aizen though in disbelief as he along with each and every other being that witnessed it widened their eyes in shock.

Ichigo made to cut Aizen in half, only for his blade to be met with the cold steel of another zanpakuto.

"Lord Aizen, get back." Ulquiorra said as he struggled to keep the creature's blade at bay.

Aizen took the advice and used flash step to get away from Ichigo, leaving Ulquiorra to stall the monstrous creature.

"Tya." Ichigo grunted in a raspy voice as he broke the stalemate between the blades, effectively sending Ulquiorra reeling. Much to the green-eyed Espada's surprise a crack appeared in his zanpakuto, directly at the location Ichigo's sword had struck.

Sand from the ground erupted as Ulquiorra tried to regain his footing after Ichigo's powerful swipe, only to fail in regaining his composure for the moment.

"Starrk, do it." Aizen ordered prompting Starrk to cut his left index finger with his blade and began to charge a cero.

"Gran Rey Cero." Starrk uttered as he fired a cero mixed with his blood at Ichigo. The dark blue cero spiraled towards Ichigo, who made no gesture of countering the attack with his own cero as he had done prior.

'_What is it doing?' _Starrk wondered as he saw Ichigo simply extend his left hand in front of where the cero was about to impact.

The creature caught the cero in the palm of his hand, harnessing the spiritual energy of the doom blast before crushing it with his bare hand. Dust roared around him as the waves of spiritual energy dissipated.

'_He blocked my Gran Rey Cero with his bare hand? Just how strong is this thing?' _Starrk thought with wide eyes as he saw one of his most powerful attacks batted away effortlessly.

The Espada alongside Aizen and his fellow Soul Reapers surrounded Ichigo, blades raised and in a defensive stance in an attempt to figure out a way to subdue to powerful creature.

"You will not kill him!" Nel cried out as she used sonido to appear in front of Ichigo, along with Pesche and Dondochakka.

Ichigo stared at them blankly as the three had their swords raised, seemingly defending him.

"Get out of the way you little insect!" Barragan exclaimed as he readied his large battle axe, believing that he would have a chance to kill this monstrous creature.

"I have no intention of killing him Nelliel, he needs to be subdued or the real Ichigo Kurosaki will be lost forever." Aizen stated as he too raised his blade at the beast, prompting Nel to sweat as she realized the dilemma she was in.

'_Dammit… Ichigo fight back and win already or I swear I will kick your ass into the next dimension.' _Nel thought as she became torn on whether or not to obey Aizen.

_**Ichigo's Inner World**_

"**Look at you… so weak.**" The hollow said as he watched Ichigo cough up blood due to his wound.

"**That's just something I won't put up with.**" The hollow declared as he walked towards the seemingly paralyzed Ichigo.

'_Dammit… I can't have come this far just to lose to him…' _Ichigo thought as he watched, paralyzed, as his hollow continued to walk closer to him.

"**I don't know about Zangetsu, but I refuse to play horse to a king that is weaker than me…**" The hollow began.

"**I refuse to bow to someone who's stupidity and hesitation will end up getting the both of us killed!"** The hollow roared as made his way up to Ichigo, placing his hand on the grip of the sword that was embedded in Ichigo' stomach.

"**And if you're too weak to assert yourself then I'll crush you… and then I'll be king.**" The hollow stated as he began to pull the blade from Ichigo's torso, sending Ichigo a devilish smirk as he reveled in his imminent victory.

'_I won't let you win… I can't… I will defeat you!' _Ichigo thought with determination as he grabbed the blade of the zanpakuto that was embedded in his stomach. As he did so, the sword began to turn black, shifting its colors from white and spreading down the blade.

"**What the hell**_**?**_" Inner hollow exclaimed as he jumped back in order to avoid being swallowed by the substance that covered the blade.

"I won't lose to you… not now and not ever!" Ichigo declared before pulling the now black Zangetsu from his abdomen and beggining to charge his inner hollow, who could do nothing but stand there, awestruck at the willpower his king was exhibiting.

Ichigo came closer and closer to his hollow, his eyes glowing a light shade of blue as he moved through the air and sent the blade through his hollow.

The hollow stared wide eyed as the unthinkable had happened, the weak king had bested the stronger horse.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

The beast abruptly began to charge a massive crimson cero between its horns, roaring as it aimed directly at those who were attempting to subdue him.

"Dammit, another cero. Everyone get out of the way!" Starrk ordered upon seeing the massive ball of energy spiral to life.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The creature screamed as the cero abruptly ceased charging and dissipated between its horns.

Ichigo continued to roar in his hollowfied state as more and more spiritual pressure began to circle his body, sporadically whipping around and creating a torrent of wind due to its speed. This turn of events left everyone confused as they saw the beast drop its sword and begin to screech.

"What's happening now?" Starrk shouted through the wind, protecting his eyes with his forearm as the wind refused to let up.

"His mask is beginning to crack." Halibel shouted as she noticed a crack appear on the forehead of the beast.

"He has defeated his inner hollow…" Aizen began as he brought his left hand up and pointed it at Ichigo.

"Rikujokoro." Aizen uttered, causing six wide beams of light to slam into the midsection of the wailing beast.

"Starrk, Barragan, that spell will not hold him for long. Restrain him as I complete the arrancarization process." Aizen ordered as he brought the Hogyoku out of his pocket once more.

"I refuse to lower myself to doing the work of such lowly peons." Barragan scoffed, refusing to have anything to do with subduing the creature.

"Is that so, Barragan?" Aizen questioned, giving Barragan a glare and receiving one back from the arrogant Espada.

"Enough of this, Halibel let's go." Starrk stated, breaking up the glaring contest between the two as he noticed Ichigo had broken free of the spell with only the use of his sheer strength.

"Right." Halibel replied before both she and Starrk used sonido to appear beside Ichigo. Halibel restrained his right arm while Starrk restrained his left, both flaring their spiritual pressure in order to subdue the creature with their combined strength.

"This should take but a moment." Aizen stated as he held out the Hogyoku towards Ichigo's completely hollowfied form.

_**Ichigo's Inner World**_

"**Damn…**" Ichigo's inner hollow trailed off, coming to terms with his defeat after a momentary daze of shock.

"**I guess I must have been wrong about you king… maybe you do have a little bit of that killer instinct.**" The hollow mused as he began to be consumed by a dark red substance that sporadically appeared from the exit point of Ichigo's sword.

"**I guess that I'll have to accept the fact that you defeated me.**" The hollow said in a quiet tone as he began to fade away.

"Answer me this question… what did you mean when you said that you didn't bring me in here?" Ichigo asked, wanting to make the hollow explain himself before he vanished.

"**Hehehehehehe, it would seem that you defeated me so I may as well tell you.**" The hollow mused as he continued to disappear.

Before the hollow could continue Ichigo's inner world began exude light purple spiritual pressure, confusing Ichigo to no end as he tried to fathom what was happening.

'_What the hell is this?' _Ichigo wondered as he looked across the sideways city to see the purple spiritual energy wrapping around the buildings.

"What are you doing now you bastard?!" Ichigo roared, believing that this was another trick.

"**It's like I said before… not my doing king. I have some final words of advice for you…**" The hollow began cryptically as Ichigo turned to face him.

"**When you wake up, don't lose those annoying little traits that make you such a pain in the ass!**" The hollow laughed before he completely disappeared from existence.

The purple energy that had started at the bottom of his inner world was now violently swirling, collapsing building after building as it raged upward, consuming everything in its path.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body **_

Ichigo's body began to violently release more and more spiritual pressure as Aizen attempted to use the power of the Hogyoku to turn the boy into an arrancar as his body began to absorb his hollow powers.

'_What is the Hogyoku doing?' _Aizen wondered as he Hogyoku began to glow a deep purple and began violently releasing spiritual pressure of its own, as if matching Ichigo's.

"Ah!" Aizen exclaimed as he brought his hand away from the Hogyoku due to the heat it was outputting. More and more spiritual pressure surged violently from both the Hogyoku and Ichigo, creating a spiral of spiritual pressure that shot into the sky, a mix of purple and black, red tinted, spiritual energy.

Aizen used flash step to get out of the immediate area, leaving the Hogyoku floating directly in front of Ichigo as well as Starrk and Halibel. The Hogyoku was glowing even brighter than Aizen had ever seen.

"Lord Aizen, what is happening?" Ulquiorra questioned as the spiritual pressure ripped through the skies.

"I told you all, once, that the Hogyoku becomes fully awakened for a brief period of time when exposed to spiritual pressure that is twice that of a normal captain. I however did not expect that the Hogyoku would be reacting to Ichigo Kurosaki's spiritual pressure and not my own." Aizen replied, looking uncharacteristically worried as the spire of spiritual energy encased both Halibel and Starrk as well.

"So the Hogyoku is reacting to the boy's spiritual pressure?" Tosen questioned as he buckled down from the winds that resulted in the massive release of spiritual pressure.

"Apparently so, even I do not know what the results will be." Aizen replied.

_**Las Noches: Platform overlooking the Sands of Hueco Mundo**_

"What is that?" Ggio exclaimed as he saw the spire of spiritual energy shoot into the skies, sending a quake through the foundation of Las Noches as it continued to roar with power.

"This spiritual pressure is so intense, how can something possess such power?" Findorr said in fear as he began to sweat behind his hollow mask.

"Not even Lord Barragan possesses spiritual pressure of this magnitude." Po added, worried that he would lose his master should the spiritual pressure sporadically erupt.

_**Outside Ichigo's Body**_

'_I… I can't move.' _Starrk and Halibel though with worry as they clung to Ichigo's sides, practically paralyzed due to their position at the center of the spire of energy.

'_What the hell is happening?' _The arrancar wondered as the spiral began to increase its radius, consuming everyone within the immediate area in a torrent of extremely dense spiritual energy.

The arrancar fell to the ground within the spiral, unable to move due to the density and deadly powerful nature of the spiritual pressure they were consumed by.

'_How is it that the Hogyoku is capable of being in its awakened state for such a long period of time?' _Aizen wondered as the spiritual pressure consumed him as well, though due to his spiritual pressure he was only brought to one knee.

The spire created a giant sphere at its base, encircling a large portion of the area before the barrier began to dissipate and return to the center, leaving the arrancar unharmed as they slowly got up from their positions on the ground.

Each and every arrancar stared at the spire of spiritual energy as it began to suck in the barrier it had crated. The barrier returned to its source prompting the spire to dissipate. As the energy subsided Ichigo Kurosaki was lying on the ground, unconscious, and the two Espada that were by his sides were kneeling on the ground, struggling to stand.

The Hogyoku now lie lifeless on the ground in front of Ichigo, still intact and no longer in its fully awakened state.

After all was visible the fraccion of the Espada retuned via sonido, having expected the danger to have subsided due to the spires disappearance.

"Ichigo!" Nel cried out as she ran towards the unconscious Ichigo.

"Uggg… my head." Starrk griped as he rubbed his head in an attempt to alleviate his sudden headache.

"Starrk!" Lilynette chirped as she hugged Starrk, who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Lady Halibel!" Halibel's three fraccion said in unison as they went to the side of their master.

Aizen and the others walked up to see what had occurred, if anything, after the Hogyoku emitted so much spiritual pressure.

"Lord Aizen, what was that?" Starrk asked, breaking his embrace with Lilynette and standing up to face Aizen.

"The Hogyoku reacted to the amount of spiritual energy that Ichigo Kurosaki was emitting. It is my belief that…" Aizen said before noticing something that shocked him slightly.

"Starrk, what happened to your hollow hole?" Aizen questioned upon noticing that Starrk's hole at the center of his chest was completely gone.

"Whaddya mean it right… here?" Lilynette said as she pointed to the center of Starrk's chest.

"Yours is gone too Lilynette." Starrk pointed out, confusing everyone present.

"Mine seems to be gone as well." Halibel abruptly stated, causing some of the Espada to give her a confused look, though with what Halibel was capable of anyone who cared dared not to voice it.

"Lord Aizen, their spiritual pressures seem to have changed as well. It is more dense and powerful than when they were absorbed by the combined spiritual pressure of Ichigo Kurosaki and the Hogyoku." Tosen added, being the expert on sensing spiritual pressure.

"I see, this is rather interesting." Aizen said as he began to ponder the possible reasons for this turn of events.

"It would appear that Ichigo doesn't have a hollow hole as well." Nel stated from her position at Ichigo's side.

"Well considering that he isn't a hollow, you moron, tha…" Nnoitora said before looking down at the boy and seeing a mask fragment on that covered the left side of his face.

Each and every person present turned their attention to look at the boy's mask fragment. It took the appearance of something similar to his mask in his fully hollowfied state. The mask resembled a human skull and had a horn protruding out of its side. A black stripe ran down the skull portion of the mask, down his eye, and ending at the bottom of his cheek.

The mask fragment left his mouth completely exposed but covered most of the left side of his face. Overall, it was the spitting image of the beast that Ichigo had become during his battle with his hollow. The zanpakuto that the creature had dropped to its side before the creation of the spire was a now a standard sized, regular zanpakuto with a black grip.

"What the hell?" Grimmjow exclaimed as he saw the mask fragment on Ichigo's face.

"It would appear that Ichigo Kurosaki is finally an arrancar." Aizen stated, a smug smile creeping onto his face as had succeeded in turning Ichigo into an arrancar, despite the twists that had occurred along the way.

"That being said, what happened to our hollow holes?" Starrk wondered aloud, still not getting that part of recent events.

"I don't really think it matters. At the moment, I believe we should bring Ichigo back to Las Noches." Nel stated, causing Nnoitora to scoff at her suggestion.

"Why would you even care about that Soul Reaper?" Nnoitora spat, prompting Nel to glare at him.

"After what we have all seen today, I don't think he can be called a Soul…" Nel said before beginning to look at Nnoitora observationally.

'_Did I just see what I think I saw?' _Nel wondered as she continued to stare at Nnoitora.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Nnoitora exclaimed.

"Stick out your tongue." Nel ordered.

"Ha, as if I would ever listen to y…" Nnoitora said before being cut off.

"Your number is gone." Nel stated, a look of curiosity gracing her features.

"What?" Nnoitora exclaimed before sticking his tongue out, only to see that Nel was in fact correct. The number five on his tongue was gone, not a trace of it left.

"My number appears to be gone as well." Halibel stated, glancing down at her right breast where her number was placed.

"As is mine." Nelliel added upon looking at her back and seeing that the number three was gone.

One by one each Espada checked their numbers, or had someone check for them in Aaroniero case due to his numbers being on his heads.

"This is indeed an interesting turn of events… but it matters very little. I will give out your numbers once I have sorted out how I will be ranking you." Aizen stated, bringing everyone out of their confusion.

"It would seem that we shall have two new powerful members to bring into our fold." Aizen added, smirking as he brought his gaze to Nelliel and Ichigo.

'_That infuriating green haired little…' _Nnoitora thought in anger, dreading the prospect of having to be Nelliel's comrade once more.

"I will explain what I believe happened here today in tomorrow's meeting." Aizen added before turning to face Las Noches.

"We have all had a long day and I recommend that you get some rest. All Espada are required to be at a meeting tomorrow morning, however considering the gravity of the meetings discussion I suppose fraccion are allowed to attend as well." Aizen stated, prompting Lilynette to jump for joy.

"Halibel, there is a room currently unoccupied near your own, correct?" Aizen questioned, needing to take care of one more arrangement.

"Yes, indeed there is." Halibel replied.

"Very good… Starrk and you shall take Ichigo to this room and lay him down so that he may rest. Once morning comes you will wake him and escort the boy to the meeting room." Aizen ordered, prompting Halibel and Starrk to nod in response.

"Wait Lord Aizen, perhaps I should go instead of Starrk. My old room is, after all, in the same hallway as Halibel's." Nel said, prompting Aizen to shake his head in amusement at her protest.

"It's fine Nelliel, I'll just let you take my place if that is acceptable." Starrk stated, eliciting a nod of confirmation from Aizen.

"Thank you Starrk… Halibel, are you ready to leave?" Nelliel questioned as she picked Ichigo up by his right shoulder.

"Let's go." Halibel replied as she threw Ichigo's left shoulder over hers before the two used sonido to travel back to Las Noches at blinding speeds.

"Szayel, before you depart there is the matter of a little project I need you to complete before the morning arrives." Aizen stated, prompting the pink haired Espada to grin evilly.

"What might this 'little project' be, Lord Aizen?" Szayel asked his grin never fading.

"Oh I assure you that you'll enjoy every minute of it once I explain the reasons for it." Aizen replied cryptically, an evil smirk of his own appearing on his features.

_**Soul Society**_

"Are you all ready?" Urahara asked as he prepared to open the Senkaimon their exit party.

"Before we leave, you really don't have to come back with me Rangiku… really I'm fine." Orihime said with a sad smile, not at all convincing her strawberry blond friend.

"We still have your apartment set up as a com's room, so really I should be going back with you anyway." Rangiku replied, sidestepping the real reason for her coming back with Orihime.

"Open up the gate Kisuke." Yoruichi ordered, prompting Urahara to comply by opening up the Senkaimon.

Yoruichi walked in first, followed shortly by Soifon. Orihime and Rangiku entered shortly after until Urahara was the only person who had yet to enter.

_**World of the Living: Urahara's Underground Training Facility **_

"There's no place like home!" Urahara chirped as he exited the Senkaimon and proceeded to crack his neck.

"Rangiku, please take Orihime back to her apartment." Yoruichi requested, eliciting a nod of understanding from Rangiku.

"Alright… goodbye Mr. Urahara!" Orihime shouted as Rangiku began dragging her off to her home.

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi began as soon as Orihime was up the latter and out of earshot.

"I know Yoruichi… I know." Urahara replied, causing Soifon to become completely lost.

"What is it that you two are talking about?" Soifon questioned, her expression matching her confusion.

"Ichigo Kurosaki trained with us for some time, and during that time period his body was dropped off her at the shop…" Urahara began, not wanting for Yoruichi to explain something that might upset her.

"You see, when the Soul of a still living person is gone from its body long enough, the body develops a connection with the specific spirit connected to the body and this connection causes the soulless body to have a pulse. So, if Ichigo is in fact alive the body will still have a pulse, but if it doesn't…" Urahara explained not wanting to state the obvious conclusion if the body had no pulse.

"So that is how you are going to determine if Orihime Inoue was indeed telling the truth of recent events?" Soifon asked, getting a nod of confirmation from Urahara before the group made their way up the latter and towards Ichigo's body.

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

"Orihime, are you sure that you're alright?" Rangiku asked believing that Orihime needed to talk about what happened.

'_Poor girl must be devastated…' _Rangiku thought, a sad look coming to her features as Orihime made no reply.

"I-It's just that…" Orihime began, speaking after several minutes of walking.

"I confessed to him about how I felt… and a moment later he was taken from me." Orihime said, tears coming to her eyes once more.

"To be honest… I'd have preferred him telling me he didn't love me than him just dying." Orihime sobbed out, only for Rangiku to bring her into a tight embrace.

"Orihime… if Ichigo is really gone he wouldn't want you to think like that… believe me when I say I'm sad that he's gone, but you have to live on in order for his death to not be in vain." Rangiku said seriously as she comforted her friend.

"What i-if I can't do that?" Orihime cried out, burying her head in Rangiku's shoulder.

"I went through the same thing when Gin betrayed the Soul Society… perhaps it's quite a bit different, but whatever happens you need to find the strength to move on." Rangiku stated as she rubbed Orihime's back in order to comfort her more.

A moment later a man clad in white approached the two, looking to be a mix of confused and worried.

"Orihime, what on earth happened?" Uryu exclaimed as he abruptly ran towards his crying friend.

"Uryu, where have you been?" Rangiku questioned, having not seen the Quincy in quite some time.

"Where I've been is not of importance." Uryu replied.

"However, from how absolutely shaken the two of you look, it would seem that I missed something in my absence." Uryu mused as he pushed his glasses up.

"Ichigo is dead!" Orihime cried out, causing Uryu's eyes to widen in shock.

"What?" Uryu exclaimed in a tone that reflected his state of absolute disbelief.

"How on earth could that have happened?" Uryu asked, refusing to believe that something actually did Ichigo in.

Rangiku sent him a death glare as Orihime cried harder into her shoulder, effectively sending chills down Uryu's spine. He himself not believing the bubbly women was capable of appearing angry.

'_I'm missing something here…' _Uryu thought as he noticed what he said somehow made Orihime's mood worsen.

"You should go ask Urahara at the shop they will explain everything." Rangiku stated before walking away from Uryu and leading Orihime back to her apartment.

'_First thing I find out when I come back and Ichigo's dead…fantastic.' _Uryu thought in annoyance as he headed for Urahara's shop.

_**Urahara's Shop **_

"Alright Yoruichi, you want I should find out or you?" Urahara asked as the group walked into the medical room where Ichigo's body was being kept.

"I'll do it Kisuke." Yoruichi replied as she walked up to the empty body.

'_Ichigo… please still be alive.' _Yoruichi prayed as she stopped at the side of the body.

Yoruichi took two fingers and placed them on the bottom half of Ichigo's wrist, hoping to feel a pulse as her hand touched the skin.

Yoruichi held her hand in place for several seconds, hoping that a pulse would come, only to be disappointed as not a beat could be felt.

'_Dammit!' _Yoruichi thought in anger, her face mimicking her fury as she turned and used flash step to leave the room faster than the eye could see.

'_Well I guess now we know…' _Urahara thought sadly as he lowered his head and released a sigh of frustration.

"What was that about?" Soifon asked, not missing the expression of anger on Yoruichi's face.

"Soifon… you should go speak to her, she needs to talk to someone and right now I don't think I can be the shoulder she needs to lean on." Urahara replied, the seriousness of his tone shocking Soifon slightly.

"What are you talking about? Why does Lady Yoruichi appear so upset?" Soifon asked, becoming frustrated that her questions were going unanswered.

"It'll be better if you hear it from her." Urahara replied cryptically.

"She's probably in her room. Just know that when you talk to her just choose your words carefully." Urahara advised just before Soifon began to walk upstairs.

"Is her room across from yours?" Soifon asked, causing Urahara to inwardly panic.

"H-her room is at the opposite end of the hall." Urahara replied, prompting Soifon to continue to move up the steps.

'_I should probably sleep with one eye opened knowing that the best assassin in the Soul Society knows where I sleep.'_ Urahara grimaced in thought, highly worried about any future attempts on his life. He was broken out of his worry as the bell rang, signaling that someone had entered the shop.

"Urahara." Uryu called out as he walked into the shop.

"In here Uryu." Urahara tiredly replied, half knowing what the boy was going to ask him about.

"So what's this I hear about Kurosaki being dead?" Uryu asked his tone deadly serious as he walked into the medical room.

"Well… now it seems to be official. Long story short, Aizen allegedly stabbed him through his heart." Urahara replied, frowning as that now seemed to be what most likely happened.

"But that's not even really the worst part…" Urahara trailed off, causing Uryu to grow impatient.

"If Ichigo being killed by that madman isn't the worst part of the story than what exactly might the worst part be?" Uryu inquired, being slightly annoyed that he would have to ask such an obvious question.

"Well… Aizen kidnapped Orihime and had Ichigo go to Hueco Mundo willingly by threatening her life… I suppose you can put two and two together." Urahara replied, causing Uryu's eyes to widen in shock as he realized why Orihime had cried harder earlier that day.

'_Orihime…' _Uryu thought sadly.

"Tell me the whole story Urahara." Uryu demanded, having regained his composure.

"Well it all started…" Urahara said as he began to tell Uryu what had happened during his absence.

_**Urahara's Shop: Yoruichi's Room**_

"Lady Yoruichi." Soifon called out as she entered Yoruichi's room to find her lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What is it Soifon?" Yoruichi asked in a monotone voice.

"Why is it that you became so angry downstairs?" Soifon questioned, trying to choose her words wisely at Urahara's suggestion.

"Well for starters Ichigo is dead… I mean actually dead." Yoruichi began, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

'_Are her eyes watering?' _Soifon wondered as she noticed the pools of water form in her Yoruichi's eyes.

"So the boy's demise has upset you?" Soifon asked, prompting Yoruichi to nod.

'_Why would his death mean so much to her?' _Soifon wondered as several moments of silence passed

"Soifon have you ever been in love with a man?" Yoruichi abruptly asked, causing Soifon to blush profusely.

"No, no, no, no, no Lady Yoruichi. What would make you think that?" Soifon asked as her blush deepened, causing Yoruichi to raise an eyebrow.

"With a woman? It's okay, I don't judge." Yoruichi said, sending her characteristic smirk at Soifon as her face turned the color of a tomato.

"W-wha I, why would… uhhhh." Soifon stammered, unable to regain her composure.

"This isn't a joke Soifon… I actually would like to know." Yoruichi said seriously, breaking Soifon out of her daze.

"N-no I can't say I have been." Soifon replied, still blushing slightly.

"I had figured as much." Yoruichi thought aloud, turning her head to the ceiling once more, her frown returning to her features.

"Why do you ask Lady Yoruichi?" Soifon questioned, curious as to what brought about the question.

"I ask because…" Yoruichi began, turning her head to Soifon once more.

"I felt something when I was with Ichigo one night… I'm not sure what it was, and I'm trying to find out what emotion it was." Yoruichi finished.

"L-Lady Yoruichi what are you talking about?" Soifon asked, her eyes wide due to her former teacher's implications.

"One night, during our training I pulled Ichigo into bed and we…" Yoruichi said before Soifon cut her off.

"He did what?" Soifon screamed, only hearing Yoruichi say the words 'Ichigo' and 'bed'.

"I'm going to kill that little brat!" Soifon screamed in anger, only to severely regret her choice of words a moment later as she saw tears streaming down Yoruichi's face.

"I'm afraid Aizen beat you to it Soifon." Yoruichi dryly replied as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.

'_Think before you speak dammit!' _Soifon thought, mentally scolding herself for her choice of words.

"We didn't sleep together Soifon… well, not in the way you're obviously thinking." Yoruichi stated, causing Soifon to blush out of embarrassment.

"I pulled him down into the bed, and we just slept, intertwined with one another for the entire night. I can remember waking up in the middle of the night and looking up from where my head rested on his chest… I just smiled as I saw him sleeping." Yoruichi said, smiling sadly at the memory.

"The next morning must've been when Aizen told Ichigo to run away to Hueco Mundo and I had spent the whole day looking for him, but I couldn't find him." Yoruichi continued.

"I had thought he didn't feel there was something between us and that thought made me so depressed I even ended up crying… can you believe that? Me, the Goddess of the Flash and former squad two captain, crying because I thought a boy didn't like me." Yoruichi laughed dryly.

'_Ichigo Kurosaki for your sake I hope you really are dead.' _Soifon thought, deciding not to voice her anger at the boy for hurting Yoruichi.

"I eventually found out that he was considerate enough to leave me a note but I had somehow missed it. I then headed to the underground training facility, which was where he said he'd be… but he wasn't." Yoruichi said, frowning as she remembered the feelings of worry that followed her realization.

"I kept up hope but… now that I know he's gone I don't know what to do." Yoruichi continued.

"Lady Yoruichi, if for some ungodly reason you… have feelings for Ichigo Kurosaki." Soifon said through gritted teeth.

"Then I can accept that… and know that if you need to talk about this further I will always be there, ready to listen on command." Soifon continued, smiling lightly at Yoruichi.

"Thank you Soifon, that means a lot to me… but for now I'm just going to focus on planning how I'm going to rip Aizen's heart out when next I see him." Yoruichi said, her eyes giving away her determination to keep her words.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"We are here Nelliel." Halibel stated as they entered the corridor that container her room, as well as the rooms of both Nel and Ichigo.

"I can put Ichigo in bed so you can go rest if you would like." Nel offered.

"No, it's quite alright. I'll help you get him situated." Halibel replied as the two entered the room.

'_Hopefully Ichigo will be awake by tomorrow morning.' _Nel hoped as she and Halibel placed Ichigo on the bed before leaving the room.

_**Las Noches: Nelliel's Room**_

"With all of these changes I'm just glad Ichigo is alright." Nel thought aloud before releasing a sigh of relief

"Plus if it's any comfort… he is an arrancar now… just like me." Nel said to herself, allowing a genuine smile to grace her features as she lie down, thinking of Ichigo before falling into a deep sleep.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room**_

"That spiritual pressure today… I can't stop thinking about it." Halibel thought aloud as she tucked herself under the covers of her bed.

'_Something that dark and deadly powerful… and yet, I felt safe as I was in the middle of a vortex of violent spiritual pressure.' _Halibel thought, shivering pleasantly at the memory of clinging to Ichigo at the center of the spire of spiritual pressure.

'_One thing is certain, tomorrow should indeed be interesting.' _Halibel thought before allowing sleep to take her.

**A/N READ THIS! So Ichigo is now an arrancar… or is he? No hollow hole, and his spiritual pressure did something to Starrk and Halibel and on top of that it erased the Espada's numbers. What did the Hogyoku turn him into? Will I ever tell you before I write it in the story? How strong is Ichigo? What did Aizen ask Szayel to make? What will Ichigo be like the next morning when he wakes up? Will Soifon actually kill Ichigo? Will Rangiku kill Uryu for making Orihime cry more? Will I ever stop asking questions to myself? **

**Ante-The Legendary Zoroark**: I kind of wish the same thing, but for the purposes of this story, I had to make that conflict end the way it did. Also, you can count on me keeping up the good work.

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Well, I tease because I have a habit of posting more than once a week with chapters that are at minimum around six thousand words, that way I can make you guys think without being a complete ass YAY ME! Also, on Ichigo's mindset, something of course happened and I hinted to it in this chapter but it will become clear next chapter.

**Mexican ninja 1996**: I said it once, I'll say it again, I know and I pride myself on it!

** 7**: Thanks, now you get to read this one! (Apologies for the name being incomplete I do not know why the FF Doc Edit thing wont let me do this)

**ruben00**: Thanks, I pride my story on its originality, which is hard on a fanfiction section with like 70k plus stories on it xD

**Arashigetsu117**: Thanks, if I can have more than one update a week with each around 5-6k words and of good quality I am happy. In regards to new moves. Ichigo will have plenty of new powers, but his powers are evolving because… I can't tell you :P

**Ryden Purrson**: You were right, also thanks!

**darkmachines**: The reason that Aizen ordered no one to use their release forms is because he wanted to give Ichigo more time to control his hollow, after all, if he has to restart the next day, or if he loses Ichigo/one of his Espada, that isn't worthwhile and Aizen don't do no not worthwhile.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: You love me and you know it ^^

**eragonfan117**: Ichigo Vasto Lorde will also be his resureccion, but maybe MAYBE he has a greater form and MAYBE just MAYBE, the fact that he doesn't have a hollow hole has something to do with it… MAYBE ;)

**hornet07**: Thanks, I'd be a huge dick if I just left you guys hanging for say another week on that, I'd probably kill me to, but sadly (gladly if your me and probably yourself as well) I do update fast, so here you go! Well, the reason I included it was essentially for the purposes of making the situation seem genuine. With Aizen, especially if your Urahara, everything is debatable in terms of what he does. Secondly, it did have some bearing on the two of them also having feelings for Ichigo, but to be honest it was mostly because her experience of seeing Ichigo die makes it seem so believable and also makes many more sympathetic at the moment and less skeptical… let's just say Aizen may have planned it that way, which means HE DID.

**Dagdamor1**: The reason he isn't short of arrancar at the moment, is because Ichigo's Vasto Lorde state only seeks out threats, plus Ichigo being a Vasto Lorde is more so important because of the massive spiritual pressure he possesses in that form, which is why the Hogyoku chose to react to him instead of Aizen. Also, Halibel wasn't getting thrashed, she was more along the lines of testing Ichigo. She lopped of his arm with little to no effort, and in terms of firing the cero, Ichigo's inner hollow packs one hell of a punch with that no matter what form he is in. Ulquiorra was much along the same lines, and obviously Aizen didn't want the Espada to actually harm him because that would mess up his plan. Also, in terms of Ego shots, Barragan suffered a big blow, and he will suffer an even bigger one in the near future mostly because Starrk and Halibel got a bit of a power boost for reasons that will be revealed in the future, though I do have a good reason. This is important to note because Barragan said it was beneath him, but now, he lost an opportunity to gain more power… GO OLD DUDE!

**The Unknown Sinigami**: You could say that, more on Ichigo's powers and the like next chapter.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, also Vasto Lorde Ichigo continues to live Ichigo is officially *not completely* an arrancar.

**McCabeRz**: Indeed, and the fact that Ulquiorra has two releases will come into play next chapter or the one after that, since the Espada will be re-ranked. Also, second transformation, the mystery of the Segunda Etapa plays a big role in this story but the actual reason for its existence won't be revealed for some time.

**Unstopable150**: Well, in terms of the great fight, it was essentially Vasto Lorde Ichigo going all pseudo beserk and just showing off. I considered making it an Espada release frenzy but decided against it given the fact that Aizen really REALLY doesn't want to waste time on making Ichigo an arrancar but with how strong he is you can see why.

**QuasWexQuas**: He does, and he will continue to do so.

**Fire0770**: Thanks, also I wrote the damn thing and I'm not to sure who he fights lolol

**BleachFan21**: Wow… you actually guessed correctly. Challenge for you, guess what the reason the Espada's numbers disappeared? That will be revealed next chapter but I want to see if someone can get it. Also he doesn't become a full arrancar, but what whatever he is (Yes I know what he is but you don't) Starrk and Halibel are now exactly the same as he is, in terms of what type of being he is.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks! Also, I would as well, and in terms of the other story thing will be writing another one, I have already decided this and I may as well caps this because I want to reassure people. I WILL NOT START ON ANOTHER STORY UNTIL I FINISH THIS ONE! Personally I also dislike it when authors do the whole have six stories and play Eeenie Minnie Miny Moe with them in terms of updates. Also it would be harder to stay motivated for a particular story and that makes the quality worse, so overall it's just better this way… but that's just me.

**Rei Rusuragi**: Thanks, glad to know you've stuck with the story and still like it, after all, you were actually the one of the first favorites of this story and have the place as the one of the first favorites I have ever received since this is my first story! :D


	19. Complications

**A/N Sorry about the fact that this update didn't come sooner, it would have been posted on Thursday, which was the day that I actually had this chapter complete. It would have been… if I hadn't had to read a 200k word story that I was told is similar to mine in my free time, but more on that at the end of the chapter. Anyway, here you go and enjoy, also in advance I may as well say that at the end chapters from now on, I will have a section just labeled ****Explanations:** **and all that will be is just showing my reasoning for why I did certain things and maybe a small tidbit of information on the next chapter from time to time, however, I will not have one at the end of this chapter, instead it will be a large grouping of things that contains many explanations for this chapter and from previous chapters and after that, review responses. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 19**

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"We are here Nelliel." Halibel stated as they entered the corridor that container her room, as well as the rooms of both Nel and Ichigo.

"I can put Ichigo in bed so you can go rest if you would like." Nel offered.

"No, it's quite alright. I'll help you get him situated." Halibel replied as the two entered the room.

'_Hopefully Ichigo will be awake by tomorrow morning.' _Nel hoped as she and Halibel placed Ichigo on the bed before leaving the room.

_**Las Noches: Nelliel's Room**_

"With all of these changes I'm just glad Ichigo is alight." Nel thought aloud before releasing a sigh of relief

"Plus if it's any comfort… he is an arrancar now… just like me." Nel said to herself, allowing a genuine smile to grace her features as she lie down, thinking of Ichigo before falling into a deep sleep.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room**_

"That spiritual pressure today… I can't stop thinking about it." Halibel thought aloud as she tucked herself under the covers of her bed.

'_Something that dark and deadly powerful… and yet, I felt safe as I was in the middle of a vortex of violent spiritual pressure.' _Halibel thought, shivering pleasantly at the memory of clinging to Ichigo at the center of the spire of spiritual pressure.

'_One thing is certain, tomorrow should indeed be interesting.' _Halibel thought before allowing sleep to take her.

_**Urahara's Shop (The Next Morning) **_

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi called out as she knocked on Urahara's door.

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi repeated, raising her voice as she did so.

"Allow me Lady Yoruichi." Soifon said as she kicked the door open, revealing Urahara to be passed out on his mattress surrounded by pillows.

"Five more minutes Yoruichi." Urahara mumbled in his sleep.

"Lady Yoruichi wishes for you to wake up now and begin the calibrations for the Garganta." Soifon stated as she glared at the oh so humble shopkeeper.

"Five more minutes." Urahara mumbled once more, waving his hand as if to shoo Soifon out of his room.

"Sting All Enemies to Death…" Soifon began, getting the intended effect as Urahara began to scramble to get out of his bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Urahara cried out, not wanting his life to end anytime soon.

'_You'd really think he'd have learned by now.' _Yoruichi thought as she chuckled at Urahara's discomfort.

"Good work Soifon." Yoruichi complemented, causing Soifon to blush lightly at her praise.

"My pleasure Lady Yoruichi." Soifon replied, smirking evilly at the fear stricken shopkeeper.

"Talk about bitter…" Urahara mumbled, causing Soifon to glare dangerously at him.

"What was that, Kisuke Urahara?" Soifon questioned, using a tone that warned him to tread carefully.

"N-nothing, nothing at all Captain Soifon." Urahara replied, sweat dropping out of fear for his vital organs and or limbs.

"Kisuke, you know what we have to do before you calibrate the Garganta." Yoruichi stated, changing the mood of the conversation to one of seriousness.

'_Dammit… I was really, really hoping that I wasn't going to tag along for this.' _Urahara grimaced in thought, expecting to have his ass handed to him in the near future.

"Just give me a minute Yoruichi." Urahara sighed, prompting the two women to exit the room.

"What was that about Lady Yoruichi?" Soifon asked as the two walked down the steps to the main floor of the shop.

"Ichigo has a human family Soifon, and his father is aware of his powers. Kisuke was entrusted with Ichigo's care for the time being and well…" Yoruichi trailed off, assuming Soifon was intelligent enough to put two and two together.

'_So it appears I'm not the only person who will hurt him today.' _Soifon thought, a smirk gracing her features as she walked on.

'_I take it she's thinking the same thing Kisuke is.' _Yoruichi thought upon noticing the smirk of content appearing on Soifon's lips.

"Will I be accompanying you two, Lady Yoruichi?" Soifon asked, hoping to get an opportunity to see Urahara get his ass beaten by someone other than her.

"You will need to be here in order to make sure the Garganta is still calibrating properly." Yoruichi said much to Soifon's disappointment.

"Don't worry, I'll take pictures." Yoruichi stated, giving Soifon a wink, causing Soifon's smile of content to reappear.

"Ready to go Yoruichi?" Urahara asked as he walked down the stairs, hanging his head in sadness, obviously expecting something bad to happen to him.

"Let's get going." Yoruichi said before the two began to make their way to the Kurosaki house.

_**Karakura Town: Kurosaki Residence (Some Time Later) **_

"Go on Kisuke, knock on the damn door already." Yoruichi ordered, annoyed that Urahara was stalling the inevitable.

"But I don't wanna." Urahara whined, releasing overdramatic tears as he rolled on the ground.

'_Figures he would make me knock on the door.' _Yoruichi thought as she stepped in front of the door and proceeded to knock on it.

"Kurosaki Clinic, how may I he…" Isshin began, only to stop midsentence as he saw two of his old friends standing at his door step.

"Why is Kisuke rolling on the ground and crying like a little girl?" Isshin asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"Because he's a moron." Yoruichi replied, sending a glare at Urahara, who had yet to cease his antics.

"Isshin, we need to talk." Yoruichi stated seriously, turning her head back to Isshin.

'_This can't be good.' _Isshin thought as he sighed before gesturing the two to enter his house.

The group made their way into the family room of the clinic, each person taking a seat before the conversation started.

"So what did Kisuke do this time?" Isshin sighed, expecting this to somehow be all Urahara's fault.

"Why do you assume it's my fault? It could easily be Yoruichi's fault." Urahara pouted as he feigned being indignant.

"Knock it off Kisuke, this is serious." Yoruichi ordered, prompting Urahara to drop his goofy demeanor while slightly confusing Isshin.

'_Urahara needs to be serious for this conversation? This really, really, can't be good.' _Isshin grimaced in thought, coming to the conclusion that his suspicion was correct.

"It's about you son Isshin…" Urahara began, causing Isshin to raise a brow at his eccentric friend.

"What did you do Kisuke?" Isshin questioned through gritted teeth, causing Urahara to sweat nervously.

"He kind of sort of… well you see… it's kinda funny that he… uhhh." Urahara rambled, not having the courage to say it up front.

"Ichigo is dead Isshin." Yoruichi said with a frown, causing Isshin's eyes to widen in both rage and shock.

"WHAT?!" Isshin roared as he shot out of his chair, at first not believing that he had heard correctly.

"Unfortunately Ichigo is dead… the pulse on his body has faded after it formed a connection with his spirit… Isshin… I'm sorry." Urahara said, expecting to be thrown out the window within the next few seconds.

'_Ichigo is… dead… that can't be.' _Isshin though in disbelief as he slumped back into his chair, a saddened expression present on his face.

"How?" Isshin weakly asked, not even finding the strength to be angry at the moment.

"The entire story is quite lengthy… but the long and short of it is that Orihime Inoue was kidnapped and apparently Aizen used her to get Ichigo to willingly come to Hueco Mundo where he…" Yoruichi said, unable to finish the sentence herself.

"Aizen." Isshin spat out of pure hatred.

"Aizen!" Isshin screamed as he once again shot up from his chair, surprising both Urahara and Yoruichi.

"That man has caused me enough trouble over the years, I will end this!" Isshin declared, balling his fist in anger.

"Kisuke, if you know what's good for you you'll open up a Garganta and let me into Hueco Mundo, if I have to go myself I will." Isshin stated, his evident anger causing Urahara to grow nervous.

"Isshin, you can't do something so suicidal. This is Aizen we're dealing with so this could be what he wants." Urahara replied, paling slightly as Isshin sent him a death glare.

"Plus our report is based on Orihime's eye witness account. Since Aizen has Kyoka Suigetsu it could be a trick, and on top of that, Aizen is intelligent enough to have found a way to severe the connection Ichigo's spirit has with its body, or at least block it." Urahara added, giving more evidence of Ichigo's possible survival as he hid behind Yoruichi to avoid Isshin's glare.

"I don't care Kisuke, even if my son is alive and Aizen found a way around the connection he had with his body that's all the more reason that I should go!" Isshin roared, fueled by pure hatred at this point.

"A group of Soul Reapers along with myself are leaving for Hueco Mundo in order to confirm what happened to Ichigo." Yoruichi said, exhibiting better control of her emotions on the touchy subject than she had previously.

"Then I'm going as well." Isshin declared, causing Urahara to panic slightly.

"What? You can't go! The head captain still thinks your long dead, if you face them…" Urahara exclaimed, trying to reason with his friend.

"I will deal with the consequences after Ichigo is back here and he is safe, whether he be alive or dead." Isshin replied.

'_No point in arguing with him I suppose.' _Urahara reasoned in thought.

"When are you leaving?" Isshin questioned, bringing Urahara out of his thoughts.

"In a period of about three hours the Garganta will be ready." Urahara replied, causing Isshin to smirk.

"If that's the case then I have time to enlist a little… help." Isshin said cryptically, confusing Urahara and Yoruichi.

"Now if you have nothing else to say, I need to leave so I would ask that you do the same." Isshin calmly stated as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, followed closely by Urahara and Yoruichi.

"I hope you know what you're doing Isshin." Urahara thought aloud as the group reached the street.

"When it comes to my son Kisuke, I would do anything to keep him safe." Isshin solemnly replied, prompting Urahara to smile slightly at Isshin's words.

"Oh and Kisuke…" Isshin began, smirking slightly as the shopkeeper turned to face him.

"Regardless of whether or not Ichigo is okay, I'm going to kick your ass for letting him be taken." Isshin sated, causing Urahara's skin to pale.

"That goes double for me Kisuke." Yoruichi said, glaring at Urahara who just gave Yoruichi a look of complete confusion.

"I wasn't even there when he was taken Yoruichi." Urahara pouted, only to cease when Yoruichi's glare intensified.

'_Why me?' _Urahara grimaced in thought as he and Yoruichi began to walk back to the shop.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Uggggg, my head…" Ichigo griped as he slowly opened his eyes and began to rub the back of his head.

"Where the hell am I?" Ichigo wondered as he surveyed the white room he was not sleeping in.

The room was rather large in general. A bathroom was included along with a balcony which overlooked a large area of land speckled with large red and blue pillars which became apparent due to the false light that radiated from the ceiling. The room was complete with a large bed, and the dominant color of the room was white, with the exception of the red velvet pillows that were placed at the head of the mattress.

'_For that matter… who am I?' _Ichigo thought, inwardly panicking.

"How did this happen?" Ichigo thought aloud as he saw that he was wearing what appeared to be a torn Soul Reaper uniform.

'_I need to sort this out…' _Ichigo thought to himself as he surveyed the room he was currently in.

An abrupt knock in the door took Ichigo out of his thoughts, prompting him to turn to the door.

"Come in." Ichigo said, loud enough for the person on the other side to hear him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I am here to escort you to a meeting as per Lord Aizen's orders." Halibel stated in her usual tone of voice as she entered the room.

'_That name rings a bell… perhaps she knows who I am and why I am here.'_ Ichigo thought.

"You live in this… building… correct?" Ichigo asked, turning to face the blonde haired woman who had entered his room.

"Yes, I do indeed live here." Halibel answered, trying to hide her confusion at the question.

"Then perhaps you can tell me why I am here." Ichigo mused, furthering Halibel's confusion.

"Do you mean how you came to be in this room?" Halibel asked with a raised brow.

"I mean in general. Why am I in this building? Who are you? Who is this Aizen you spoke of? And more importantly… who am I?" Ichigo questioned confusion of his own written all over his face.

'_Is he being serious?' _Halibel wondered, slightly taken aback at the questions the newest arrancar had just asked.

"You mean you can't remember what happened or who you even are?" Halibel asked, prompting Ichigo to shake his head in response.

"As for why you are in this building, it is because as of yesterday you have become an arrancar. My name is Tia Halibel, and Lord Aizen is the ruler of the palace that you currently reside in. As for who you are, your name is Ichigo Kurosaki." Halibel answered, listing off Ichigo's questions.

"That raises more questions than it answers." Ichigo commented as he sat down on the foot of his bed.

'_His confusion seems genuine… perhaps he has indeed lost his memory.' _Halibel mused in thought as she stared at Ichigo.

'_Now I simply need to find out what exactly he remembers.' _Halibel thought as Ichigo ran a hand through his hair.

"What exactly do you remember?" Halibel asked, leaning against the doorframe in order to feel more comfortable.

"I still have my instincts, that is all I know for certain at the moment." Ichigo replied, appearing deep in thought.

"I… can feel fleeting images of certain people buzzing around in my head, but nothing concrete, no names, only brief images of faces. The name Aizen rings a bell and the more I think of the name the more I seem to be able to picture the man and when you mentioned my name I am certain that is who I am." Ichigo thought aloud.

"Then it is good that your memory loss appears to be only temporary." Halibel reasoned as Ichigo seemed to exhibit signs of temporary amnesia.

"I guess…" Ichigo trailed off.

"I would suggest that you get changed." Halibel stated as she noticed Ichigo had yet to change out of his torn Soul Reaper uniform.

"Where can I find…" Ichigo began as he got up, only to stop when he heard the clang of metal hit the floor of his room.

'_What's this?' _Ichigo wondered as he reached down and grabbed what appeared to be a golden pocket watch.

"What is it that you have there?" Halibel asked, her curiosity getting the better of her, if not for the reason that the object had not fallen out of his robes after such unexpected events.

"I'm not entirely sure myself… oh well." Ichigo replied as he placed the watch at the head of the bed.

"You will find clothes in the dresser over there." Halibel said while motioning to the nearby dresser on the wall.

"Very well..." Ichigo replied as he walked over to the dresser and opened it to find a series of white clothes of different varieties. Several of them vests, a few were obviously women's clothing for some reason, but most of the clothes were standard arrancar garments.

Ichigo chose to grab one of the standard uniforms and brought it over to his bed spread, only to unfold them and lay them out over the bedspread.

"This will do." Ichigo stated as he began to take off his torn Soul Reaper clothing.

A moment later the room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop as Halibel stared wide eyed at the newest arrancar who now stood before her completely naked with a confused expression on his face.

"What?" Ichigo asked in a monotone voice, noticing a speechless, blushing Halibel.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Halibel shouted indignantly, a blush visible even behind her collar appearing as she stared at the clueless man in front of her.

"Something wrong?" Ichigo asked, still not understanding why Halibel looked so shocked.

"You can't just strip in front of someone, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Halibel exclaimed, confusing Ichigo further.

"You told me to change, so I did." Ichigo replied with a deadpanned expression.

"Plus, if it's so bad why haven't you looked away?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Halibel to shut her eyes and cover them with her hand while turning around for good measure.

'_What the hell is wrong with him?' _Halibel wondered, being uncharacteristically flustered as she made an attempt to get her blush to subside.

'_Perhaps it is a side effect of his amnesia.' _Halibel reasoned in thought as she simultaneously attempted to get the image of Ichigo naked out of her head.

"Good morning Ichigo, I trust you slept we…" Nel said as she entered the door, only to stop midsentence as she saw the naked Ichigo.

'_She seems familiar… but I can't quite put my finger on it.' _Ichigo thought as she saw the green-haired woman wearing white arrancar clothing enter the room.

"Ichigo, what the hell are you doing?!" Nel exclaimed as her face became bright red before closing her eyes and turning around, much like Halibel had.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Ichigo wondered aloud, apparently proving that he was indeed as clueless as Halibel thought him to be in his current state.

"I'm changing, what's the big deal?" Ichigo asked in a monotone voice.

"What's the big deal?!" Nel exclaimed, turning around and glaring at Ichigo.

'_Dammit, I did it again.' _Nel thought as she turned around again to avoid seeing looking at Ichigo.

"Why did you repeat my question?" Ichigo asked, getting a low growl from both female arrancar.

"I'm done changing, you can turn around." Ichigo said as he finally put on his arrancar clothing.

He currently wore an arrancar uniform similar to Starrk's. The only noticeable difference other than obvious appearances, was that he now had a gray sheath which encased his black-gripped zanpakuto on the left side of his hip.

"What?" Ichigo asked, unable to ignore the glares that both of the profusely blushing green-haired woman and the slightly blushing tanned-skinned woman respectively.

"I should kill you." Nel stated, her blush making her seem harmless.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ichigo asked, causing Nel to freeze in shock.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Nel exclaimed, her cheeks still red as roses.

"That is something I will bring up at the meeting, for now we must go." Halibel stated before Ichigo could make a response. This confused Nel to no end, as evident by an odd look she gave Halibel before deciding to shrug it off.

"Alright." Nel replied as she began to walk out the door towards the meeting chambers, followed shortly by Ichigo and Halibel.

_**Espada's Meeting Chambers**_

"What the hell is taking those three so damn long?" Grimmjow complained, failing to keep his boredom to himself.

"Just calm yourself Grimmjow. Relax and drink some tea." Gin stated, eliciting a growl of annoyance from the tiger-like arrancar.

"I'm sure they will be here any minute." Gin added, smirking at the arrancar's annoyance.

"Lord Aizen, perhaps the boy is offering resistance due to his recent… change." Tosen stated, raising a good point.

"No matter how powerful he may become, Ichigo Kurosaki will always be a protector and if nothing else he will remain harmless for the sake of those he considers friends, whom he already knows to be within harm's way at any moment I choose. The worst possible outcome is that he remains passive until I convince him to fight against the Soul Society, no matter how many lives will need to be spared to do so." Aizen replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from the blind Soul Reaper.

"I don't know, the way Nelliel was acting around the Soul Reaper, I could think of another reason two of them would be late, and maybe they even convinced Halibel." Nnoitora joked in a suggestive manner, causing Grimmjow to nearly fall out of his chair laughing.

"How vulgar." Szayel commented before returning to sipping his tea.

"What?!" The fraccion of both Nelliel and Halibel said simultaneously.

"Lady Nelliel would never stoop to such… such deplorable conduct." Pesche defended as Dondochakka nodded profusely in agreement.

"Yeah, what are you saying?! Lady Halibel would never throw herself at a man she doesn't even know!" Apacci exclaimed as her fellow fraccion nodded profusely in agreement.

"If you are done with your little joke Nnoitora…" Aizen began releasing a slight chuckle at the panicking fraccion.

"I would request that you all wait in silence until the other three arrive." Aizen stated, taking a sip of his tea as he finished.

The doors to the meeting room began to open revealing the three missing arrancar, arriving in no particular order.

The three took their seats, with Halibel and Nelliel having flustered looks on their faces coupled with blush, evident even though Halibel's collar guarded her face. Halibel sat next to Starrk. Ichigo sat next to Aizen's left, and Nel took the seat immediately to his right.

The fraccion of the missing arrancar immediately surrounded their masters with looks of confusion on their faces as they noticed their apparent flustered demeanor.

"Lady Nelliel, are you alright?" Pesche questioned upon noticing the blush that was still present on Nel's face.

"Halibe, are you… blushing?" Starrk asked with a raised eyebrow as he noticed a slight tint of red on Halibel's upper cheek which was left exposed despite her vest and mask fragment. At first, Starrk had thought his eyes were going bad having never seen Halibel appear this way in his existence as an arrancar.

"I do not wish to speak of it." Halibel replied as she crossed her arms under her breasts, confusing nearly everyone in the room.

"What exactly happened?" Starrk asked, this time turning to Ichigo for an answer.

"All they did was see me naked… I'm not sure what all the fuss is about." Ichigo stated causing a mixed number of reactions from the arrancar present in the room.

After Ichigo said this, Nel buried her face in her hands, wishing for them to make her disappear at the moment, as Halibel closed her eyes while still keeping her hands crossed under her chest. Their blushes darkened noticeably out of sheer embarrassment.

Nnoitora and Grimmjow instantly fell off their chairs and nearly died laughing. Szayel along with several of the other Espada and Tosen either spit out their tea, or nearly choked on it, at what they heard Ichigo say. Barragan simply made no comment and kept his grumpy demeanor present on his features.

Aizen and Ulquiorra gave Ichigo a strange look, while Starrk just sat there wide eyed and Gin's characteristic grin widened noticeably. The most evident reaction came from the fraccion of the Espada, who for a brief moment simply stood their looking as if they were going to try to catch flies with their mouths.

"Ewwww!" Lilynette cried out, being the first to actually comment on what Ichigo had said.

"WHAT?!" Halibel's and Nelliel's fraccion shouted simultaneously.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Ichigo asked in a monotone voice, seemingly confused as to why the fraccion were shouting.

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this. If everyone would calm themselves, I'm sure Ichigo will explain." Aizen stated in a tone of slight amusement, somewhat succeeding in calming everyone down.

"I was changing, they saw." Ichigo stated as if the answer was obvious, causing Aizen to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"You seem quite different Ichigo. Is something wrong?" Aizen asked, noticing the apparent cluelessness in Ichigo's actions and words. He had expected something along the lines of rage to be evident when Ichigo entered, despite the fact he had anticipated his cooperation to a degree.

"I really wouldn't know what would be a normal way for me to act." Ichigo replied cryptically, confusing almost every other person in the room.

Aizen made to say something before Halibel decided to step in.

"He appears to have a case of amnesia, Lord Aizen. He can't remember anything that lead up to this day except fleeting images of his memories. At first, he was not even capable of remembering his own name. However, I believe that though they are scrambled, his memories may very well return." Halibel explained, raising more questions that she answered.

"I see…" Aizen trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.

'_This boy has a nasty habit of doing the unexpected.' _Aizen thought dryly.

"Ichigo, would you be so kind as to wait in your room, I wish to speak with you in private after this meeting is through." Aizen said, prompting Ichigo to nod in response.

"Do you need someone to escort you?" Aizen asked, just to make sure.

"I did not forget my instincts. I am capable of using pesquisa to find where my spiritual signature has been." Ichigo said before using sonido and vanishing from sight.

"Very interesting how he happened to lose his memory." Ulquiorra commented, believing this turn of events to be a slight problem given that Aizen had put such effort into assuring the boy's cooperation thus far.

With his memory gone, Aizen had little leverage to keep the, presumably, powerful arrancar there, what's worse, should Ichigo never remember his past, Aizen would completely lose any semblance of control over him.

"I myself found it odd that he didn't seem to remember Lord Aizen… he did however say that he could picture what he looked like." Halibel added, reinforcing her theory that Ichigo would regain his memory.

"And the fact that he seems even more clueless than when he first got here?" Starrk asked as an afterthought.

"If his memories are to return, then his mannerisms should return with them if he truly does not know what constitutes as normal behavior for him." Ulquiorra reasoned.

"I will take care of that personally. In the meantime we have much to discuss." Aizen stated, bringing the meeting back to order.

"Firstly, I will present to you my theory of what occurred yesterday that resulted in your numbers disappearing along with four arrancar no longer having hollow holes." Aizen said, outlining the topic of discussion.

"When that massive dome of spiritual pressure encircled all of the Espada, it is my belief that such a dense gathering of reishi cancelled out your numbers. Since your numbers are simply a materialized concentration of reishi…" Aizen began before being cut off.

"Then it would make sense that a far denser concentration of reishi was capable of wiping them out." Starrk mused, eliciting a nod of confirmation from Aizen.

"As for the disappearance of the hollow holes, my only theory lies in the very nature of Ichigo Kurosaki's spiritual energy." Aizen began, though he planned on leaving out a few details regarding the makeup of Ichigo's spiritual energy.

"In the world of the living, several humans received powers as a result of the boy's spiritual presence, for whatever reason. Due to the proximity that Halibel and Starrk were to the boy during his transformation, coupled with the power of the Hogyoku, it is possible that some of his vast spiritual pressure affected you as well, though as far as what this makes you, I have not yet been able to discern. All that I can say is that you are the same as he is." Aizen stated.

"Then how does that explain what happened to Lilynette?" Apacci asked, pointing her thumb at the adolescent arrancar as she did so.

"Since Lilynette and Starrk were once the same being, it makes sense that she was affected as well." Aizen replied, quelling the confusion of several arrancar in the room.

"Does that my spiritual pressure changed, like Starrk's?" Lilynette asked, hopeful that she did indeed become stronger.

"As far as the increase in power goes, I do not know, but I can speculate that your spiritual energy has indeed changed." Aizen replied, smiling as he saw Lilynette begin to jump up and down in a childish manner.

"Back to the numbers, how is it that we are going to get them again?" Nnoitora asked.

"As you know, the numbers an arrancar receives is an indication of where their power lies upon birth and the number changes once another arrancar is born. Since I am not able to recreate you as beings, I will need to come up with a new method." Aizen replied.

"That being said, I have yet to decide how you shall be given your new numbers due to the addition of Nelliel and Ichigo Kurosaki to my fold of powerful arrancar." Aizen stated before moving on to the next topic of discussion.

"Lord Aizen, I do believe you promised to explain why you had me create that little device last night." Szayel said, confusing some of the Espada with his choice of words.

"Ah yes… Szayel was kind enough to create a device that allows us complete control over the Garganta from our end, allowing us to monitor or block any outside intrusion. As a result, we are able to seal off the Garganta to all non-arrancar other than myself, Gin, and Kaname that reside outside of Hueco Mundo." Aizen stated, smiling slightly as he could just see the looks on Urahara's face the next time he tried to open a Garganta.

"For what purpose would that be, Lord Aizen?" Yammy asked, not seeing the logic.

"Orihime Inoue has no doubt arrived in the world of the living by now and will most likely tell them of Ichigo Kurosaki's presence here in Las Noches." Ulquiorra replied.

"Yes and no Ulquiorra… you see, Orihime Inoue believes Ichigo Kurosaki to be dead." Aizen stated, causing the arrancar present to widen their eyes in shock.

"I used Kyoka Suigetsu in order to implant a false perception of events in her mind once she left for the world of the living." Aizen explained.

One question remained unanswered. Several knew how Kyoka Suigetsu functioned, each knowing that before the sword was capable of doing such things, it needed to enact its Kanzen Saimin release, which would require one to look at the blade or be in its vicinity as it released. However, Aizen had only ever spoken to Orihime Inoue once, which left only one possibility.

"When did you…" Starrk trailed off before remembering Aizen severing Yammy's arm from his body.

One by one each Espada in the room who was present for the event realized what had occurred, leaving Nelliel confused even though she chose not to voice it.

"Never were one to do dirty work without a reason, were you Lord Aizen?" Gin joked, being quite content with having thought that Aizen cutting off Yammy's arm had a dual purpose.

"Gin, you know me too well." Aizen said, a smile of amusement tugging at his lips.

"Lord Aizen, while I may not know how you used Kyoka Suigetsu, if the Soul Reapers think Ichigo is dead, wont that create a possibility that some may come here to Las Noches despite what their leader's decree?" Nel questioned, realizing the obvious possibility that intruders could very well enter Las Noches.

"The only way that the Soul Reapers would be able to enter is through a Garganta, and if they can't create one…" Aizen trailed off, prompting each Espada to realize his intentions.

"I'm actually quite counting on the fact that they will come in an attempt to either rescue, or avenge Ichigo Kurosaki. The more that decide to partake, the more damaging it will be when they realize that they are helpless." Aizen stated, an evil grin etched on his face.

"Breaking the morale of the enemy before the fight even starts, looks like you've done it again Lord Aizen." Gin complimented.

"I expected you to protest this Nelliel, after all, you are the only one weak enough to care about that human girl Lord Aizen tricked." Nnoitora spat, being somewhat surprised at the former Espada's silence.

"Although I may not agree with the method, my place is here with Ichigo as I promised. So long as he remains unharmed, and the girl was not killed, I have no major objections." Nel replied in an emotionless tone.

'_It appears that bringing her back into the fold was indeed the proper choice.' _Aizen thought with content.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with our latest comrade." Aizen said as he got up from his chair.

"Before I leave, I may as well tell you that sometime in the near future I intend to have him demonstrate his abilities, I'm quite sure you're all interested in seeing just how powerful the boy has become after yesterdays… events." Aizen stated in a knowing tone as he walked out of the room.

'_Well it should at least be interesting to see what the kid can do now that he's got control of his powers.' _Starrk thought as he left the room.

_**Urahara's Underground Training Facility**_

A large group of Soul Reapers, ranging from captains, to lieutenants, to talented seated officers, to outcasts stood in the training room of Kisuke Urahara, waiting for the Garganta to open.

"When you said a small extraction team I didn't think you meant the entire officer core of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads." Urahara joked as he turned to speak to the strongest Soul Reaper's in existence.

"It's like I said before, my favorite sparring partner just up and died on me. No way in hell Aizen is going to get away with that." Kenpatchi said, giving off a smirk of pure bloodlust which gave away his intentions.

"You got that right Kenny!" Yachiru chirped form his shoulder.

"I'm here for a little bit of revenge and maybe a good fight or two." Ikkaku stated as he released his own vicious smile.

"Revenge is quite ugly, but in this case I've decided to make an exception." Yumichika piped in, eliciting several nods from many of the lieutenants present.

"Many captains and lieutenants volunteered to go on this mission, so many in fact that I decided to make this mission an invasion of Las Noches." Yamamoto bellowed.

"As acting leader of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, I have deemed this our greatest chance at striking Aizen down before the power of the Hogyoku awakens, and now is one such opportunity." Yamamoto continued.

"Urahara, when will the Garganta be open?" Hitsugaya asked, obviously eager to end Aizen's miserable existence for more reasons than one.

"The Garganta should be open in a minute." Urahara replied before making to walk away.

"Yoruichi, can you help me finish up the calibrations?" Urahara asked, prompting Yoruichi to follow him over to the area the Garganta was being created.

"So what do you need me to do?" Yoruichi asked.

"I don't need you to do anything…" Urahara began, confusing Yoruichi slightly.

"Yoruichi… I know that I said Ichigo may be alive… but I have to know if you can deal with his actually… you know." Urahara said, noticing that Yoruichi didn't appear phased by his words.

"Firstly, yes I will be able to deal with it, at least long enough for this invasion to end in our victory. Secondly, even if Ichigo is in fact dead, if we are capable of retrieving his spirit and his body is still in a somewhat stable condition, you and I both know that Orihime would be able to heal him to the point that we could send him back into his body." Yoruichi replied, prompting Urahara to smile sadly.

'_I hate myself for this but I have to make sure she won't get herself killed.' _Urahara thought before he continued to speak.

"That may be true, but what if we can't find the body?" Urahara asked, hating that he had to badger his best friend like this.

'_He wonders why I want to kick his ass alongside Isshin.' _Yoruichi thought as she contained her frustration.

"Then I'll manage, just get the Garganta opened to we can get going." Yoruichi stated, hiding her anger with Urahara quite well.

"Alright Yoruichi… just be safe, okay? You're like a little sister to me and I'd hate to think of what I'd do if I lost you." Urahara said in a serious tone, making Yoruichi smile slightly at him.

"I know Kisuke… you've been my best friend for as long as I can remember and it's sweet that you care enough, but when it comes to Ichigo…" Yoruichi trailed off, shaking her head before continuing.

"I just need to figure it out on my own." Yoruichi stated, prompting Urahara to nod in understanding before she left to rejoin the group.

"Is the Garganta almost ready?" Kyoraku questioned as Yoruichi walked back to join the group.

"It should be in a few…" Yoruichi said before an explosion on the roof interrupted their conversation.

'_What the hell?' _Everyone present though as they saw three men fall from the ceiling and land in the underground training room.

One worse a gray suit along with a pair of glasses and resembled a shrewd, calculated businessmen. Another wore a white outfit similar to what Quincy were rumored to wear when in battle, he, like the first man, wore glasses, only of a different style, and he appeared to be much younger than the other two.

The third, however, drew the most attention by far. He was a middle aged man in a Soul Reaper uniform with the remnants of a tattered captain's haori seemingly tethered to his left shoulder.

'_Is that who I think it is?' _Many of the captains thought as they immediately recognized one of the men in particular.

"Dammit Isshin, why did you have to go and break by ceiling?!" Urahara exclaimed as he ran towards the group, hands on his hat as if in a panic.

"At this point it was either your ceiling or your head!" Isshin shouted as a tick mark appeared on his head.

"My friends are so mean to me!" Urahara pouted as he began to release streams of overdramatic tears.

"Isshin Shiba, why are you here and who are those two men you have brought with you?" Yamamoto questioned as all of the Soul Reapers present began to calm themselves.

"First of all, its Kurosaki…" Isshin began, causing many present to widen their eyes in shock at their collective realization.

"…and I'd have thought that first one is obvious. I'm here to get my son back, dead or alive." Isshin stated in a serious tone, looking Yamamoto directly in his squinted eyes.

"As for why I'm here…" Uryu began as he pushed up his glasses.

"I've come to terms that if anyone was ever going to kill that stubborn bastard it would be me… if Ichigo is really dead, Aizen is going to have to answer for it." Uryu continued, earning a few glares for his comments from several of the more emotional Soul Reaper's present.

"I don't really know why I'm here considering this is a suicide mission." Ryuken stated, prompting Isshin to look at him with a comical look on his face. He was perfectly aware that Ryuken disliked charging blindly into things, and considering that all they knew about the arrancar was that they served Aizen and lived in Las Noches, it came as no shock that he disagreed with this plan.

"Come one old buddy, you know you want a shot at killing Aizen." Isshin joked, getting no reaction from the stoic businessmen.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Yamamoto bellowed, being predictably upset that two Quincy and a former Soul Reaper captain appeared out of the blue.

"Take it easy old man Yama. It seems as if these three are our friends in this circumstance." Kyoraku mused, being the voice of reason in the room.

"Are we able to assume that you three are to be our allies in the fight against Aizen?" Yamamoto questioned, seeing the opportunity to bolster his current forces, something he would jump at given the fact that he himself disliked their lack of inelegance on their enemies power.

"As long as Aizen is alive, I intend to seek him out and cut him down." Isshin solemnly declared.

"And what of you two?" Yamamoto questioned.

"My opinion is of the same as that of Ichigo's father." Uryu replied, pushing his glasses up as he spoke.

"I suppose that I did promise to see this through." Ryuken thought aloud.

"Very well, in this circumstance your help will be quite valuable." Yamamoto stated before turning to face Urahara.

"If it is ready…" Yamamoto began only to stop mid-sentence as Urahara opened the Garganta.

"Alright everyone, stand back." Urahara ordered as he faced the massive black hole and prepared to step into it.

'_Here goes nothing.'_ Urahara thought as he stepped closer to the Garganta.

Just as Urahara was about to walk into the darkness of the portal it began to release massive amounts of static, prompting Urahara to jump back, slightly startled.

'_What the hell?' _Urahara wondered as the portal collapsed in one final explosion of static energy.

"Was that supposed to happen Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked, still trying to understand what happened.

"No… the portal just spontaneously collapsed." Urahara said while scratching his head in confusion.

"It would appear that your calibrations were inaccurate, old friend." Kurotsuchi taunted, releasing a jovial chuckle at Urahara's apparent failure.

"I studied the structure of the Garganta and I know for a fact that this should have worked." Urahara replied, shutting Kurotsuchi up with how serious his tone was.

"As much as I hate to admit it, the only way that the Garganta would fail to open is if something on the other side prevented it from doing so." Urahara said with a frown, realizing that Aizen seemed to best him once more.

"What are you saying Kisuke?!" Isshin shouted, not at all happy with this turn of events.

"I'm saying that we can't enter Hueco Mundo!" Urahara shouted out of sheer frustration.

"Stop this foolishness!" Yamamoto ordered as he struck the ground with his cane in order to break up the quarreling friends.

"Since the Garganta cannot be opened on this end, all Soul Reapers, with the exception of the dispatch team that is already stationed here in the world of the living, will return to the Soul Society to train for the upcoming battle." Yamamoto declared, ignoring the saddened moods of many of the Soul Reapers present.

Yoruichi began to walk away after Yamamoto had given this orders, an unreadable expression plastered to her face.

"Yoruichi where are you…" Urahara began before a loud sound interrupted his question.

"Hya!" Yoruichi grunted out in frustration as she sent her fist into a large boulder, shattering it completely before walking off without saying a word.

'_Lady Yoruichi…' _Soifon thought with worry at the sight of her former teacher in such a state.

"Go after her Soifon… she needs to speak with someone." Urahara advised, prompting Soifon to nod before running after the dark skinned woman.

"As for you three…" Yamamoto began as he turned to face Isshin and those that came with him.

"What shall you be doing now that we can no longer enter Hueco Mundo, will you still ally yourselves with us to stop Aizen?" Yamamoto questioned in a threatening tone, as if warning them that they had best choose wisely.

"If I ever want to get my son back I have little choice." Isshin replied, struggling to contain his anger.

"Old friend please calm yourself, if only for the sake of your son." Ryuken said as he placed a comforting hand on Isshin's shoulder.

'_I know I've lost it when I take advice from him.' _Isshin thought as he nodded his head in understanding and began to calm himself.

"Uryu and I will join you on the condition that we act on our own accord unless the situation warrants our need to follow your orders." Ryuken stated, eliciting a nod of understanding from the head captain.

"Then it is decided, all of you get back to your stations." Yamamoto ordered as he opened up a Senkaimon in the middle of the training grounds.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Wonder how long I will be kept waiting." Ichigo said impatiently.

"I have no recollection of how I got here and that bothers me immensely." Ichigo thought aloud as he looked out on his balcony into the sands of Hueco Mundo.

"And that pocket watch…" Ichigo trailed off as he stared at the object on the covers of his bed.

'_Why is it that I feel so odd when I look at this thing?' _Ichigo wondered as he picked up the pocket watch.

'_I feel something when I look at it, that much I can tell. But what it is that I am feelings, I have no idea.' _Ichigo thought right before he opened the pocket watch.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he stared at the image of a woman with long wavy brown hair, and deep brown eyes.

'_Who is she... if I had this thing on me, she must be important.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to stare at the picture.

'_Why can't I remember who she is?!' _Ichigo though in frustration before a voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Aizen began, prompting Ichigo to shut the pocket watch and turn to face Aizen.

"You are Aizen… correct?" Ichigo asked as he began to observe Aizen's appearance.

"Do I appear familiar to you, Ichigo?" Aizen asked as he noticed Ichigo's examining gaze.

"I feel as if you do, but for the moment I do not recognize you." Ichigo replied, failing to hide his irritation at not being able to recognize someone whom he obviously should know.

'_So it would seem that he has indeed lost his memory, but the fact that he believes me to be familiar does show a possibility for this to be temporary.' _Aizen reasoned as he examined Ichigo in order to tell if he was indeed telling the truth. It was a glimmer of hope that he would be able to recover completely, a prospect that caused Aizen to become inwardly relieved considering all he had done to ensure Ichigo's eventual cooperation.

"You seem to know a lot about me, am I right?" Ichigo asked, breaking the moment of silence that had resulted from the two examining one another.

"You could say that." Aizen replied, releasing a small chuckle as he finished.

"My memories are scattered, it is if I have no purpose to what I am doing. I do not remember what kind of person I am, what kind of person I should be. My past actions are a mystery…" Ichigo began, causing Aizen to smile knowingly as he realized the perfect way to ensure Ichigo's cooperation prior to his memories returning. He could just feel what Ichigo was about to ask him, and that caused him to smirk.

"Will you help me remember who I am?" Ichigo asked in a serious tone.

"If you pledge your loyalty to me Ichigo Kurosaki, then I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you regain your memories." Aizen promised, causing a small smile to appear on Ichigo's face.

"Then I will follow you… Lord Aizen." Ichigo replied, giving a slight bow of appreciation to the man who had promised to restore what he had lost.

"Before you inform me of your goals and what it is that I am here for, I have one more question." Ichigo said as he opened up the pocket watch and held it out for Aizen to see.

"Who is this person?" Ichigo asked, prompting Aizen to frown slightly as he looked at the picture.

**A/N That's the chapter, and after this will be a sectioned pseudo-rant and then responses to reviews. **

**Okay, so the reason that this chapter was later than I wanted it to be was because more than one person pointed out that the last chapter brought to mind another story. Before I go into this, I do want to thank BleachFan21 and Mexican ninja1996 who helped me out a good bit on this. Someone named the story and I was not aware it actually existed. The reason for this is pretty simple in my mind and it is because I have only been reading fanfiction for around three months at this point. I asked BleachFan21 about it, and he oh so helpfully (Seriously thank you man!) told me that the story hasn't been updated as much as it used to be, which would make sense because I don't really make a habit of scanning the archives of fanfiction. So that being said, before a few days ago I had never read it. Now for the purposes of simplifying what I am about to write I am dividing it into sections based on what was brought up and what I picked up on as similar. WARNING: If you have NOT read Devastating Consequences, the following will likely contain spoilers and/or me pointing out flaws in non-cannon logic due to the fact that for the purposes of this story I use cannon logic in my thought process. **

**Plot****: So long story short, Ichigo becomes a hollow in both stories (Not really in mine) and something happens to Halibel and Starrk in each. Well, in this case I could see the similarities, but the time, the way they happen, and in general what the effects are and how I use them, are completely different in this story. The main difference I guess I should point out given what I had written in this chapter would be that in his story, Ichigo is basically and OC that consistently tries to kill or damage anything he used to care about only now he is five hundred times stronger. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH that in my story, this will not be the case, despite the fact that I have to have Ichigo be aloof, or more aloof, than normal for a chapter or two. This is because he barely remembers his name. The plot section is kind of divided into the rest of the sections, so I will continue in order TRY not to restate anything. **

**No Hollow Holes****: I won't lie on this one, completely the same in that the same three characters are, CURRENTLY, the only ones that do not have hollow holes, but in my story I actually had a reason for them not having hollow holes AND it is based on, what I believe to be, cannon logic but that will be shown later in this section. When I had originally created the extensive outline to this story I had thought this to be a good idea because it was based on the fact that Ichigo is practically one of everything coupled with the nature of the Hogyoku. The part of the story that had them lose their hollow holes literally made me want to punch my monitor xD for more than one reason though mainly it was because of the lame reasoning behind him doing it, such a great idea and I thought I was first and another guy did it before me in a way that I thought made no sense whatsoever. Firstly, the reason for his was because they became Vasto Lordes… WTF is that? They were already Vasto Lordes before becoming arrancar and then he used the same reasoning to make them freakishly strong, which doesn't make sense because in cannon arrancar created by the Hogyoku are STRONGER than Vasto Lordes. My example would be when the adjuchas hammerhead shark hollow beat Halibel, who was a Vasto Lorde, and her three adjuchas companions with little to no effort, and he wasn't even a Vasto Lorde before Aizen made him into an arrancar. At this point I am aware this seems rant-ish so I will get on with my point. The lack of the hollow hole for this story means that they are not arrancar, they are SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER (You probably could have guessed this) hybrids with the hollow nature dominant and this affects their powers because it makes them further along the lines of the evolutionary spectrum and it has to do with something else but there is no way in hell I will spoil that because… well, it's awesome. Without any further interruptions, I present the logic I referred to previously. The reason for the creation of this type of hybrid is because the Hogyoku reacted to Ichigo's spiritual energy differently than it would to anyone else's since he is basically everything imaginable. When it tried to make him into an arrancar, it tried to bring the hollow nature to its dominant state and make it the complete aspect of his powers, and since the source of his hollow powers is also already his zanpakuto, he is already somewhat of an arrancar. Therefore, it can't make him a complete arrancar because it would require ripping out or diminishing his Soul Reaper powers, which isn't really possible considering the hollow is both. When Starrk and Halibel were in the center of the spire, Ichigo's spiritual pressure caused the Hogyoku to awaken and as a result he used the Hogyoku on them as well, which is something that will be seen in the future, but I won't exactly spoil that bit. The fact that in Devastating Consequences Halibel and Starrk don't have them shocked me, but when I read that basically every other character had died, I wasn't too worried. For the most part this ends the hollow hole thing and we're off to the next section. **

**The Numbers****: Well, to be honest Aizen's explanation was what I would say to this. In my story, remember I said this earlier on, an arrancar's number is its rank power wise. When they are born, the number appears in an area with the densest concentration of reishi and that is where it materializes. When a new arrancar is created, this was not said previously but it is my explanation and reasoning, the numbers of the existing arrancar change. Aizen will create a new way to give them their numbers but they will not be able to be placed where they already were. Also, I was curious as to why someone brought this up, in Devastating consequences, the only numbers that disappear are Starrk's and Halibel's and to be honest, he did NOT give any expiations for this, but I don't know for sure. **

**Ichigo's Memory****: Okay, so for this one, again I actually have reasoning behind it. Firstly, it was the best option to go with if I wanted Ichigo to actually become a psudo-comrade to some of the arrancar mainly because if I didn't do this, I would just have had Aizen pull a 'you're an arrancar now, so you can't go back' which in my opinion isn't as good and it writes a lot worse. Secondly, Ichigo's inner world was essentially attacked by the Hogyoku. I alluded to this when I wrote the hole 'purple light consuming the skyscrapers' part of the last chapter. The reason for this though was something I was going to explain this chapter when I revealed what happened to Ichigo. Okay, so the Hogyoku tired to turn him into an arrancar because even thought it was reacting to Ichigo's spiritual pressure, it still responded to Aizen's will, which is why Ichigo became an arrancar and not its master. So because of the fact that the makeup of an arrancar is only of Soul Reaper powers and hollow powers, it essentially tried to root out the human and Quincy elements of Ichigo's inner world but because "Zangetsu" is technically a part of Ichigo's inner hollow, and because his humanity of part of his spiritual makeup as well, the Hogyoku opted to just solve the problem by leveling his inner world and essentially creating a hybrid by chance. This explanation is different from what he had, in that I believe he had it as because Ichigo died and subsequently turned into an arrancar (Not possible), and then absorbed the Hogyoku along with Halibel and Starrk (Also not possible) and then became a Vasto Lorde (Makes no sense). On top of this, in my story I have this aspect going a completely different way, there will be no aspects of memories or whatever he had in his story, there will be no repressing them. If I completely forgot who I was and everyone I ever met I would want to remember that, wouldn't you? Also, in terms of why Aizen wants to help him, in helping him regain his memories, he gains trust and becomes able to control Ichigo or manipulate him more easily, which if you even think about it a little, makes perfect sense. **

**Ichigo's Appearance****: For this one I got nothing. His appearance was different before I started to post this story and once I saw EyeHeartOCs' portrait I decided it looked better and people probably could visualize it better, though for me, I didn't like the longer hair mostly because later… well I won't spoil that, but I will say that Ichigo's powers are immature and this hooks back into the lack of memories and the whole 'his inner world was almost torn to shreds' thing. Other than that, not much to say, but I suppose I may already say that his number will be on the back of his right hand, but that is basically just me thinking that Starrk holding up his number was badass and I thought eventually Ichigo could do the same thing… though I will say that doesn't mean Ichigo will be the Primera... or will he? **

**The Garganta Device****: Since I know someone will probably ask me about this, I will just say it now. It is the same thing from cannon that Aizen used to shut the Garganta the captains used to enter Las Noches, I just had it come out a bit earlier because it is as Gin said "break the morale of the enemy before the fight even starts". This coupled with the false memory he implanted in Orihime, is supposed to be part of the whole 'Aizen never does any one thing without that one think being able to accomplish so much more' thing that he is known for. I also may as well clarify that it can't stop a Garganta from opening from within Hueco Mundo which makes sense because otherwise Ichigo wouldn't have been able to leave Las Noches via a Garganta, so there you go.**

**The Watch****: The significance of this came to me when I was watching Bleach from the beginning, with my brother. Isshin gave Ichigo a good-luck charm and I thought if I was going to go the loses memory route, which I had planned in the outline, I might as well add something that would help me create something of a catalyst for the return of said memories. I will say that Ichigo will be reliving that painful moment and it is a touchy chapter and the reason he, sort-of, becomes friends with another arrancar. **

**The Pulse on Ichigo's Body****: Someone asked about this and it isn't that he can no longer enter his body, it's just that essentially he has a pseudo-Yamamoto deal going on where he can't enter his body without restricting his spiritual pressure in some way just because it's so dense, not to say that this is because in his unreleased form he is stronger than Yamamoto. **

_**IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR IF I DIDN'T MAKE SOMETHING CLEAR, DROP IT IN THE REVIEW**_… also next update will likely be Tuesday.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Sorry it was later than I wanted it to be, also ty for your help!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks, again sorry for the wait, usually don't like to do that.

** 7**: Thanks, glad to hear that you liked it, hopefully I can continue to make this story better and better.

**sami217**: Ichigo is NOT a transcended being, what he is was explained above in that mess of paragraphs that made this thing so damn long. The Hogyoku did NOT choose him as its master, but the Hogyoku and Ichigo's use of it will have a HUGE role in the future of this story, but what that is I cannot say at the moment.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Well I hope a few unanswered questions were answered in this chapter and in the little explanation slash defense of my story thing above :D

**darkmachines**: The rankings of the Espada will change, but they will not become Privaron because the Privaron Espada are just arrancar that were not able to be moved down due to the appearance of more than 100 arrancar, at least for the case of my story. Also, the fallen Espada will have a role in this story but not for a while, and I tell you this because you seem like you are a fan of them. ^^

**Arrankor**: Thanks, glad to see that you respect my story! At first, she will sob, but the love of her life just "died" in front of her, but yes she will train and become stronger and she will have a role in the future and though she briefly returns to being a little less assertive for a chapter or two, she returns in force. I myself prefer her this way because I feel they make her character too vulnerable and just too emotional, this way I can at least justify the change! Also, since there is no harm in telling you, no Uryu will not be paired with Orihime, that was just an excuse to tell him what was going on because, as you can see he and his father join the effort, though they don't really take orders from anyone in the Soul Society.

**eragonfan117**: I like that as well I HAD thought the idea was original :(((((, but I know my reasoning for it is and the role it has in the story will be as well. Since you were the first to point out the slight similarity, I hope my reasoning clarifies anything you were wondering and I will continue to keep up the awesome work.

**iampieman**: NO, God no, in fact, at the end of the chapter I specifically said that the whole memory erase thing was simply put out to avoid that because I intend to have female arrancar in the harem and this was just far more effective. Yeah I kind of thought I made that a little selfish, but Nel's major thought process in this regard was 'I can't beat Aizen and all the Espada and at least this way Ichigo is alive.' Also, in terms of Ichigo's mood, he will be EXTREMELY PISSED when he remembers what happened but he is still smart enough to approach it differently, especially given that fact that Aizen is one tricky Soul Reaper.

**friaku**: The effect was listed above and it should come as no surprise that they became slightly stronger and a certain… well I can't say what else it did because that is a spoiler and I don't like to do that. :D

**horent07**: OH COME ON! You could at least humor me and try… jkjkjk. The reason behind me adding the **Explanations: **thing at the end of each chapter from now on is because I want there to be less guesswork on my thinking/rationale on the reader's part. THAK YOU LORD! For pointing out the spelling mistake, I am aware of the difference and I immediately changed it after I saw your review, in my opinion if I don't go back and fix mistakes like that it makes it harder to read and I want this to be enjoyable!

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, also for an explanation on that if you don't mind spoilers, see the big block of text above if you haven't already read it, specifically the hollow holes section.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks and I will!

**QuasWexQuas**: See you got the Invoker portrait, looks nice xD. Also thank you for being the first to actually point out the story, or at least I hope that was the only story with that type of thing in it. Anyway, I appreciate it and the intent behind the questions was to get that effect.

**Fire0770**: His sonido is extremely fast considering it slipped past Ulquiorra's pesquisa in his Segunda Etapa, which means that Aizen would likely be unable to sense it, at least, that was what I thought. As for what he is, that is above in the block of bold text under The Hollow Hole, and yes, he did gain some power, but where that was put… Also, thanks for complimenting the chapter, glad you liked it.

**Guest (1)**: Sorry your review came in so late, I changed the setting on the story to allow instant postage of guest reviews.

**flamingdarkfox**: This is what happens next, and Tuesday is when you find out what happens after that.

**BleachFan21**: HUGE shoutout to you for your help, thank a bunch. Also, the numbers thing was explained and it had to do with Ichigo AND the Hogyoku :P Also, in answer to your question, what he is can be found above in the bolded section at the end of the chapter labled The Hollow Hole.

**talonjay**: You got it exactly right, but the implications of it are further reaching that you likely believe, anyway GOOD JOB! :DDDDDDD you are officially the first reviewer to call that one!

**Syynex**: I didn't this time… *begins to cry because I didn't* Anyway, thanks!

**L.G.**: Well in response to your reviews, I appreciate the first and think a suitable response to the second would be to curse you out… but I won't. Anything you pointed out was addressed above, if you have any questions ask them in a review. As for the review moderation and the fact you questioned my integrity as an author, all I have to say is that I would NEVER delete a guest review and at this point since both of your reviews can be clearly seen as proof that I never deleted one, I hope you no longer believe that. What I believe you were referring to is that Guest reviews were on a delay, which is because that is automatic upon creating a new profile, which is something I did not know because I joined and immediately posted the story a day or two later. In regard to taking criticism, I have no objections to it whatsoever. Also, if the plot is similar I apologize for not knowing but it is as I said before, I never saw the damn story in the three months I have been reading fanfiction.

**Guest (2)**: Response to this one is above.

**Guest (3)**: He won't become a transcendent being, not in this story at least.

**TheEvilEye**: Close, but what he had Szayel make was just to add insult and more injury to what was already an injury to the Soul Society on Aizen's part.

**TheFuteristicEnigma**: Well, hopefully, now you know.

**Guest (4)**: Indeed.


	20. Dead or Alive?

**A/N Well, her is chapter number 20, and number 21 will be up most likely on Thursday or Friday, have yet to decide on that. **

**Chapter 20**

_**Urahara's Shop: Yoruichi's room**_

"Lady Yoruichi." Soifon said as she knocked on the door to Yoruichi's room.

"It's open Soifon." Yoruichi stated, prompting Soifon to enter the room to find Yoruichi staring blankly at the ceiling once more.

"So, why is it you are here?" Yoruichi asked, never ceasing her stare at the ceiling.

"Something is obviously bothering you and I… uhhhhh, I assumed you'd like to talk about it." Soifon said sheepishly, not sure how to approach the situation.

'_Is she upset with me?' _Soifon wondered as a moment of silence passed between the two.

"Do you remember how you felt when I left the Soul Society Soifon?" Yoruichi abruptly asked, making Soifon frown at the memory.

"I do…" Soifon replied, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I felt like I lost the most important thing in the world to me." Soifon said, specifically remembering when she had walked into Yoruichi's chambers that fateful day, only to find it empty.

"You were like a mother to me, I remember the nights when I would just wonder if it had really happened, if I was just having a nightmare that I never woke up from." Soifon continued.

"The feeling was devastating wasn't it?" Yoruichi asked, turning her head to face Soifon.

"Yes it was… why do you ask?" Soifon questioned, not getting where this conversation was going.

Another moment of silence passed between the two as Yoruichi tried to find the right words to answer the question.

"Because my asking you has allowed me to confirm what Ichigo is to me…" Yoruichi trailed off, surprising Soifon.

"What exactly do you mean Lady Yoruichi?" Soifon asked, silently praying that her mentor was not about to say what she thought she was.

"Well, you loved me like a mother and the feelings you experienced would be what you would expect if you lost something you loved, correct?" Yoruichi inquired, prompting Soifon to nod in response.

"That feeling of devastation, of feeling as if you lost something incredibly important to you, I felt all of those just moments ago when that Garganta closed shut." Yoruichi began, her eyes beginning to water.

"At first I didn't know what Ichigo was to me or what I even wanted from him. He made me feel happy when I was around him and he was fun to mess with but I was never sure of what I felt until all hope of seeing him again seemed to vanish before my very eyes." Yoruichi continued, tears now streaming from her eyes.

"Lady Yoruichi are you saying that you… you… you…" Soifon said, unable to finish her question.

"Yes, I'm afraid so… I loved Ichigo Kurosaki." Yoruichi confessed, causing Soifon's eyes to practically shoot out of her head.

"It's kind of ironic given what I did to you when I left." Yoruichi said, laughing dryly at the situation.

"I suppose on some level I deserved this." Yoruichi thought aloud, tears still falling from her eyes.

"Lady Yoruichi, I may have been upset with you for you not taking me with you, but no one deserves to go through that kind of pain!" Soifon shouted, bringing Yoruichi out of her depressed thoughts.

"How did you deal with me leaving Soifon?" Yoruichi asked as if practically begging to know.

"I won't lie to you Lady Yoruichi… what you did broke my heart and to bear with it I spent many nights crying… I can remember chastising myself for doing so because I thought it a sign of weakness." Soifon began.

"However what kept me going was hope. Hope that you would one day come back or take me with you. Hope that one day I would get to see you again." Soifon stated, causing Yoruichi's mood to sadden even more so.

"Ichigo didn't leave Soifon… no matter how heartbreaking my leaving was for you, you knew that I was alive." Yoruichi replied as Soifon began to frown at how depressed her mother figure appeared.

"How can I have hope?" Yoruichi asked.

"Granted this situation is… different… but the feelings of loss are the same. Even in my most depressed of states, not matter what I told myself, no matter how delusional the possibility of you returning was, I never stopped hoping." Soifon replied.

"Even when I made the choice to become stronger to defeat you should you ever return, that in a way resulted from my expecting your return in the first place." Soifon added before pulling Yoruichi into an embrace in order to comfort her.

"I may not be completely… happy… with your feelings for… him." Soifon said through gritted teeth, trying not to explicitly say that she didn't believe Ichigo was worthy of receiving Yoruichi's affection.

"But, from what I know of Ichigo Kurosaki and of Sosuke Aizen, I genuinely believe he is alive, despite what the others say. This whole situation reeks of a plan to crush the morale of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and I for one do not believe for a second that this is all Aizen has planned on this subject." Soifon contiuned.

'_Ichigo Kurosaki… if I ever see you again, for Lady Yoruichi's sake, I will not kill you, but I swear that I will beat you within an inch of your life for this.' _Soifon silently vowed as she comforted Yoruichi.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"My memories are scattered, it is if I have no purpose to what I am doing, I do not remember what kind of person I was, what kind of person I should be. My past actions are a mystery…" Ichigo began, causing Aizen to smile knowingly as he realized the perfect way to ensure Ichigo's cooperation.

"Will you help me regain my memories?" Ichigo asked in a serious tone.

"If you pledge your loyalty to me Ichigo Kurosaki, then I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you regain your memories." Aizen promised, causing a small smile to appear on Ichigo's face.

"Then I will follow you…Lord Aizen." Ichigo replied, giving a slight bow of appreciation to the man who had promised to restore what he had lost.

"Before you inform me of your goals and what it is that I am here for I have one more question." Ichigo said as he opened up the pocket watch and held it out for Aizen to see.

"Who is this person?" Ichigo asked, prompting Aizen to frown slightly as he looked at the picture.

'_Without a doubt, that is a picture of Masaki Kurosaki.' _Aizen thought sadly as he debated the best avenue of approach to the no doubt sensitive issue of Ichigo's deceased mother.

'_Perhaps it is best he not know yet given that he has just lost his memory.' _Aizen reasoned in thought.

"Lord Aizen?" Ichigo asked, breaking Aizen out of his thoughts.

"I am sorry to tell you this Ichigo but I do not know who that woman is." Aizen lied.

"I was not even aware of the fact that the object was on your person during your transformation." Aizen added, deciding he may as well tell the half-truth to the confused boy.

"I see… that is… unfortunate." Ichigo stated as he sat down on his bed, more saddened than frustrated at not knowing who the person was.

Aizen's train of thought was simple, if Ichigo had genuinely lost his memories, two possibilities existed. One, the moment that was likely the very darkest in his life would cause him to go into an uncontrollable rage. The other, and the more likely at this point, would be that he could, in fact, explain to Ichigo who she is, who she was to him, and how that affects him, but the end result would likely be words falling on deaf ears, meaning that he would not understand the gravity of the information he would relay. Now all that needed to be done, was to see which of these two possibilities would occur.

"Why do you ask out of curiosity?" Aizen asked, noticing that Ichigo was exhibiting some form of emotion for the first time since he had turned into an arrancar which was evident in his voice.

"When I look at the picture… when I look at this… thing, I feel something that much I know, but I do not know what it is." Ichigo replied, releasing a sigh as he finished.

'_Interesting… so it would appear that his personality may indeed return with his memories… better I allow his memories to come back to him rather than force them onto him.' _Aizen reasoned in thought.

"Ichigo, I would advise you to become familiar with your surroundings and attempt to explore Las Noches for the time being." Aizen stated as he made to exit the room.

"You may also rest if you wish to do so, but for the remainder of the day nothing is immediately planned." Aizen added.

"Wait, don't you need to tell me what your goals are?" Ichigo asked, effectively stopping Aizen as he was about to exit the door.

"The purpose of the arrancar and our objectives will be revealed to you at tomorrow's meeting which will be at the same location it was in earlier this morning." Aizen replied before exiting the room and heading down the hall.

'_Great. more waiting.' _Ichigo thought as he released a frustrated sigh before crashing down on his bed.

_**Halls of Las Noches**_

"Well, well, Lord Aizen, care to tell little ol' me how it went?" Gin asked as he spotted Aizen walking down the hall.

"If you must know Gin…" Aizen began, chuckling out of amusement at Gin's need to know everything.

"It went rather well, his memory loss appears to be temporary and all I needed to do in order to ensure his loyalty was promise to help his get it back." Aizen finished, confusing Gin slightly.

"Wouldn't it work more to your advantage if he didn't get his memory back?" Gin questioned, seeing a huge hole with Aizen's logic on his part.

"His personality was lost with his memory, therefore it cannot be helped." Aizen replied as he continued to walk down the hall.

"Why is his personality so important?" Gin asked, not seeing how a personality would really matter for an arrancar.

"It is important because his personality is what made him such an effective fighter. It fueled his colossal growth potential. His desire to protect that which he holds dear will also ensure that he is loyal to me." Aizen replied.

"How dya figure that?" Gin asked.

"Simple, should he truly desire to protect his loved ones I will allow them to live should he fight for me, or threaten them if he does not. Either way, his remembering who they are works to my advantage." Aizen explained.

"Do you ever not think things through?" Gin joked, causing Aizen to chuckle slightly.

"Gin, you know the answer to that question by now." Aizen said in an amused tone as the two parted ways in the hall.

_**Soul Society: Squad 13 Barracks **_

"Captain, are you sure that you want to be the one to break the news?" Kiyone asked as she along with Ukitake and Sentaro arrived outside of Rukia's room.

"Yes, now if you two would please excuse me I would like if I could do this in privacy." Ukitake said, giving a slight smile of reassurance to his two most loyal subordinates.

"Very well captain." The two replied in unison before taking off.

'_I truly wish I didn't have to do this, but if not me, then who?' _Ukitake thought as he knocked on Rukia's door.

"Come in." Rukia said from the other side of the door.

"It's me Rukia…" Ukitake said as he entered the room.

"Captain Ukitake, why are you back so soon?" Rukia asked, wondering if he was the only captain that had actually returned from the invasion force.

"Rukia…" Ukitake began, his frown saying more than any of his words could.

"The Garganta has been shut off from the inside. We could not enter Hueco Mundo." Ukitake said, causing Rukia to go wide eyed for a moment.

"I see…" Rukia trailed off, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Rukia, I'm very sorry but I have worse news." Ukitake said, wincing as he saw tears begin to stream down the girls face.

"What could be worse than Ichigo being trapped in Hueco Mundo?" Rukia asked rhetorically.

'_I'm going to hate myself for this in the morning.' _Ukitake thought as he noticed how downtrodden Rukia appeared to be.

"Ichigo's human body formed a connection due to its longevity away from his soul." Ukitake began.

"The connection took the form of a pulse which is a direct indicator to the status of Ichigo and unfortunately the pulse stopped… Rukia, I'm sorry." Ukitake stated, wincing as he saw his subordinate begin to cry out pools of water from her eyes.

"Rukia if you…" Ukitake said before a voice from the door interrupted him.

"I would ask that you allow me to take over from here, Captain Ukitake." A calm voice said, bringing Ukitake's attention to its source.

"Byakuya, what are you doing here?" Ukitake asked with slightly wide eyes as he saw the last person he expected to comfort Rukia to be there. Byakuya Kuchiki was many things, but emotional was not one of them.

"I-I will leave you two alone." Ukitake stated before leaving the room, still being confused as to why Byakuya was there though he respected the write of family to comfort family.

"B-Byakuya…" Rukia managed to say between sobs as her brother walked into the room and pulled his little sister into an embrace.

'_She is as devastated as I assumed she would be.' _Byakuya sadly thought as he rubbed Rukia's upper back to calm her down.

"Rukia, you need to collect yourself for the moment." Byakuya said, prompting Rukia's sobs to subside although tears still flowed from her eyes.

"Now Rukia, tell my why it is that you are so upset… you clearly need to talk about it." Byakuya stated, releasing Rukia from the embrace and looking her in the eyes.

"W-well…" Rukia began as she wiped the tears away from her eyes, not wanting to appear weak to her brother.

"To actually know that Ichigo is dead…" Rukia trailed off, fighting back the tears that formed in her eyes as she said those three devastating words.

'_It is as I feared.' _Byakuya thought as he knew what this conversation would inevitably lead to.

"You cared for the boy?" Byakuya asked, hiding his slight frustration. Rukia immediately blushed and shook her head profusely in denial.

"Brother I would never… well I sorta, may have, slightly." Rukia rambled.

"If you are worried for my sanity Rukia, I have no misgivings about you having feelings for the boy." Byakuya lied, wanting more than anything to calm his sister.

"I may have had feelings for him." Rukia replied quietly, looking at the floor in shame.

"Rukia… do not be ashamed of your feelings, if you have them then…" Byakuya said before being cut off.

"That's now what I'm ashamed of." Rukia said, confusing Byakuya slightly.

"I'm ashamed that I never told him… Orihime confessed that she had feelings for him, but I didn't, and now…" Rukia trailed off, allowing a lone tear to escaper her eye.

"Rukia, if you in fact loved him…" Byakuya began, practically biting his tongue off as he did so before regaining his composure as a loving older brother.

"I never said I…" Rukia said with a blush on her face before being cut off.

"Rukia, love of a friend or sibling is also love. The loss will always be devastating in any of these cases." Byakuya explained, causing Rukia's blush to subside at knowing Byakuya hadn't explicitly accused her of such things.

"Then you must find the strength to continue." Byakuya stated, causing Rukia to look up at him with a saddened expression.

"You likely feel the same as I did with Hisana. When she had passed I was devastated, but I knew in my heart that she would not want me to cry for eternity over her passing. If I had, I would not be honoring her memory, nor would I be respecting her desire that I be happy. I am positive that Ichigo would want the same for you." Byakuya explained, getting up and making to leave as he finished.

"Brother…" Rukia began, stopping Byakuya from walking out the door.

"Thank you… for coming here and comforting me." Rukia said, giving Byakuya a small smile.

"Get some rest Rukia… you look like you need it." Byakuya replied, giving Rukia a slight smile before walking out of the door and heading back to his barracks.

_**Halls of Las Noches**_

"If this place wasn't so damn big I'd have died of boredom already." Ichigo mused as he walked through the halls of Las Noches.

'_Let's see… more white indistinguishable hallways… how interesting.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to roam through the identical hallways of Las Noches.

"What did you just say?!" A distinctly female voice yelled from somewhere down the hall.

"You heard me!" A distinctly male voice shouted back from around the same location.

'_Well hopefully whatever's going on will be more interesting than… this.' _Ichigo thought as he began to walk towards the source of the shouting.

_**Halls of Las Noches: Separate Wing (A few moments earlier)**_

"So you three got to see the transformation of the Soul Reaper kid?" Ggio questioned as he among other members of Barragan's fraccion stopped to converse in the halls.

"Yeah we did… why do you even ask anyway?" Apacci asked in a tone more flippant than she probably ralized.

"We saw that spire of spiritual energy rip through the skies of Hueco Mundo, we just happen to be curious." Ggio replied, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Would you mind telling us of what occurred?" Poww asked, wanting to know if his assumption was correct.

"Why should we?" Mila Rose snorted, having contempt for the master they served more so than anything against the group personally.

"Now, now, Mila, there's no need to be snide." Sung-Sun joked, getting the intended effect of annoying the dark-skinned arrancar.

"You're a royal bitch you know that?" Mila Rose said, causing Sung-Sun to giggle.

"I aim to please." Sung-Sun retorted.

"Hmph." Mila Rose grunted, obviously annoyed with her fellow fraccion.

"You still have yet to answer my question." Poww commented, breaking the two out of their contest of annoying one another.

"If you must know, yes, we saw what had happened, and the Soul Reaper was the source of that colossal spiritual pressure." Mila Rose stated, still having an annoyed expression due to Sung-Sun's comments.

"What did something that powerful look like?" Poww asked, causing Mila Rose to let out a tired sigh.

"Why don't you three ask Lord Barragan about this?" Apacci questioned in an annoyed tone.

"He was there for the entire thing after all." Sung-Sun added.

"Lord Barragan does not need to be bothered by such trivial matters." Ggio stated, aggravating the three fraccion slightly.

"And we can be?" Apacci shot back.

"Your master is not as important as ours." Abirama replied, causing Apacci's frustration to reach its tipping point.

"Care to repeat that?" Mila Rose challenged, grabbing the hilt of her sword as she finished.

"Hehehehehe." Ggio chuckled, amused by the loyalty the three had for their master.

'_Arrogant bastards…' _Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun thought similarly as the rest of Barragan's fraccion joined in.

"Lord Barragan is stronger than your master and we are stronger than you. You should be honored that we would even bother conversing with you three." Ggio taunted, causing a tick mark to appear on Apacci's head.

"What was that?" Apacci asked through gritted teeth as she butted heads with Ggio.

"So you're not just weak but deaf too?" Ggio chided, enraging Apacci even further.

"What was that?!" Apacci yelled, clearly insulted at the insinuation.

"You heard me!" Ggio shouted back.

"Care to settle this with a friendly spar?" Apacci asked, putting emphasis on 'friendly'.

"Ha, don't make me laugh. You wouldn't last ten seconds against me, or any one of use for that matter." Ggio scoffed, chuckling as he could feel the three women becoming more aggravated.

"Tch, yeah right, I bet even cow girl over here could beat your ass!" Apacci screamed, inadvertently aggravating her fellow fraccion.

"I'm not a cow you little deer!" Mila Rose screamed at Apacci.

"So that's the part you find insulting?" Sung-Sun joked as she brought her sleeve up to her mouth.

"Shut up Sung-Sun!" Apacci and Mila Rose exclaimed simultaneously.

Sung-Sun merely giggled and turned her back to the two arguing fraccion as Ggio and the rest of Barragan's fraccion watched in amused fascination.

"You three are a waste of our time." Ggio taunted, effectively bringing the three out of their argument.

'_Why that little…' _Apacci thought as she gritted her teeth in anger, glaring at the tiger-esque arrancar as she did so.

"What is all this yelling about?" A voice questioned from down the hall.

'_Who the hell is that?' _Barragan's fraccion all thought similarly as they saw an orange haired arrancar walk toward them.

"It was nothing…" Sung-Sun trailed off, trying to find the words to describe what they were doing.

"What are you doing here anyway? This is the fraccion's wing." Apacci stated, turning to stare at Ichigo as she spoke to him.

"Lord Aizen said I should get to know my surroundings before the meeting tomorrow." Ichigo replied in an emotionless tone.

"Who is he?" Ggio asked, motioning a thumb towards Ichigo.

'_How can they not know?' _Sung-Sun wondered as she stared at Barragan's fraccion with a confused look.

'_This gives me an idea…' _Apacci though, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips as a plan for revenge formed in her head.

"My name is Ich…" Ichigo said before a hand silenced his response.

"He's Lady Halibel's newest fraccion." Apacci said with her hand still placed on Ichigo's mouth. Ichigo just stood there with a confused expression on his face.

'_What the hell is a fraccion?' _Ichigo wondered, having not been informed of the hollow hierarchy as of yet.

'_What the hell is she doing?' _Sung-Sun and Mila Rose wondered as they gave Apacci a skeptical glare.

"Just play along." Apacci whispered before taking her hand off of her of Ichigo's mouth and turning to face Barragan's fraccion.

'_Well at the very least I won't be bored…' _Ichigo mused, hoping to alleviate his boredom.

"You master chose another fraccion?" Ggio asked in an amused tone.

"That's right." Apacci replied while giving off a smirk to group of male arrancar.

"Apacci, what the hell are you doing?" Mila Rose whispered as she walked up next to Apacci with a wary expression on her face.

"Just go with it, I promise it'll be a riot." Apacci replied in a tone low enough for Barragan's fraccion not to have heard her. Mila Rose nodded at this as did Sung-Sun before their quiet conversation was interrupted by the others present.

"Come to back up your little friends have we?" Ggio questioned Ichigo in a taunting manner.

"I guess." Ichigo replied nonchalantly, prompting Ggio's eyebrow to twitch.

"Ha, I'd bet he doesn't even need our help to mop the floor with you!" Apacci taunted as she placed an arm on Ichigo's shoulder in order to sell the story that they in fact knew each other.

"He may be stronger than the three of you just because of his gender…" Ggio began, smirking as Apacci attempted to charge him only to be held back by Mila Rose.

"But that doesn't make him stronger than us. We are after all the fraccion of the strongest arrancar in Las Noches." Ggio boasted.

'_It would seem I will have to fight them.' _Ichigo mused as he saw what the girl meant by 'playing along'.

"Wanna bet on that?" Apacci taunted as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Name it!" Ggio ordered, a confident smirk beaming on his face.

"Let's see…" Apacci began as she tapped her chin in thought.

"How about if we win you have to admit that we're better fighters than you." Sung-Sun chimed in, deciding that it would be best to take a shot at their pride.

"Ha, you're on! And if we win, neither of you three can speak for an entire month." Ggio replied, sounding as confident as ever.

"Your arguing keeps all of us up at night for crying out loud!" Ggio stated, eliciting nods from each and every member of Barragan's fraccion.

"Also, the losing side has to repair any damages caused during the battle." Findorr added so that they could go all out.

"Do we have a deal?" Ggio taunted as he extended his hand.

"Deal." Apacci said, a smirk of her own becoming visible as she shook Ggio's hand.

"We should take this outside." Sung-Sun stated, becoming confused when Ggio's smirk noticeably widened.

"May as well start the cleaning work ladies." Ggio taunted as he began to charge a magenta cero in his right hand, which was extended towards the wall that lead outside.

"Cero." Ggio uttered, releasing the doom blast and destroying a sizeable section of the wall that filtered into the indoor sands and pillars that formed the fighting grounds of Las Noches.

"What are you crazy or something? We live here you moron!" Mila Rose shouted, becoming further aggravated when all Ggio did was smirk at her outrage.

"I'm going to enjoy watching this." Mila Rose mumbled incoherently.

"Shall we fraccion?" Ggio asked Ichigo as he gestured outside the hole he had just created in the wall.

"What's a fraccion?" Ichigo questioned, making every member of Barragan's fraccion face fault at his response.

'_What the hell is he doing?' _Apacci wondered as she face palmed. Mila Rose and Sung-Sun just looked at Ichigo with a confused expression on their faces.

"What's wrong with him?" Ggio questioned in a confused tone as he pointed his thumb at Ichigo.

"Beats the hell out of me." Apacci replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

"If I am to fight you, then we'd best get started." Ichigo said before using sonido to travel to the middle of the sands that were to form their battle ground.

'_That was fast.' _Sung-Sun thought as she saw how far Ichigo had gone in just a moment.

"Let's go." Ggio ordered, prompting each and every member of Barragan's fraccion to use sonido in order to catch up to Ichigo.

'_Morons.' _Apacci thought in triumph before turning to face her fellow fraccion once more.

"What?" Apacci questioned as she turned to see Sung-Sun and Mila Rose glaring at her.

"They aren't going to be happy once they find out that who he really is." Mila Rose replied.

"Then it's their fault for not going to the meeting this morning." Apacci retorted.

"She has a point." Sung-Sun mused, eliciting a nod of agreement from Mila Rose.

"Now let's go, there's no way in hell I'm missin out on this." Apacci stated before using sonido to leave the area, Sung-Sun and Mila Rose following suit.

_**Las Noches: Battlegrounds **_

"Perhaps we should set a limitation that we are not allowed to release." Poww stated, wanting to be at least somewhat honorable about a six on one fight.

"If you feel the need to do so I will not protest." Ichigo stated, prompting Ggio among other members of Barragan's fraccion to laugh at his response.

"Your funeral." Ggio scoffed as he drew his zanpakuto, an action mimicked by everyone except Poww.

"Exacta." Findorr said before slicing off half of his mask with his sword.

'_This is not a very honorable way to fight.' _Poww thought as he prepared to engage the unknown warrior.

_**Observers**_

"This is gonna be a riot." Apacci stated excitedly, a smirk of anticipation plastered on her face.

"For once, I agree." Mila Rose said, slightly shocked that she had done so.

"Ditto." Sung-Sun added as she observed the fighters readying themselves.

"What the hell's going on in here?" A distinctly male voice questioned from behind the three.

"Grimmjow, what are you doing here?" Mila Rose asked, wide eyes present on her face.

"Came her to visit my fraccion and tell them about the Soul Reaper kid since they weren't at the meeting." Grimmjow replied, nonchalantly.

"Now answer my previous question." Grimmjow ordered.

"We tricked Barragan's fraccion into fighting Ichigo over a bet." Apacci stated, prompting Grimmjow to begin to cackle uncontrollably.

"Oh man that's rich, how the hell did ya do it?" Grimmjow asked, whipping a tear away from laughing so hard.

"They think he's one of Lady Halibel's fraccion and are preparing to fight him." Sung-Sun stated, not taking her eyes off of the battlefield.

"So what do they have to do if they lose?" Grimmjow asked, a sickening smirk gracing his features.

"If Ichigo beats them, they have to admit we are stronger than them." Apacci replied, a triumphant smirk forming on her lips as she could just hear the words like music to her ears.

"Ha, well if it were me I'd have been more creative but a shot to Barragan's arrogant fraccion is still good." Grimmjow commented as he stared of at the battle that was about to occur.

"To be honest I'm curious to see what he's got." Grimmjow stated as he saw everyone draw their swords with the exception of Poww and Ichigo.

"Why isn't he drawing his sword?" Apacci wondered aloud.

"The big guy or Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked.

"Both I guess." Apacci replied while giving a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm guessing Ichigo's going to fight them without using his sword, and I think the big guy doesn't want to fight a six on one." Grimmjow explained.

_**Ichigo vs. Barragan's Fraccion**_

"You ready to get crushed yet newbie?" Ggio taunted as he readied his blade in an assassin style.

'_I suppose I should have some fun with them…' _Ichigo reasoned as he debated the best avenue of ending the fight.

"Sorry to disappoint you…" Ichigo began before the buzz of sonido filled the air.

Ichigo had disappeared only to reaper in front of Ggio a moment later with his hand held back.

"But I won't be getting 'crushed' in this fight." Ichigo stated before he grabbed Ggio's face in the palm of his hand and, faster than anyone could react, sent Ggio flying into a nearby pillar, causing a hole to appear through and through the massive red structure.

'_I didn't even see him move.' _Findorr thought as he began to sweat slightly, awestuck at the speed the mysterious arrancar possessed.

_**Observers**_

"What the hell?" Apacci exclaimed with wide eyes as she saw within moments Ggio's body flying into a nearby pillar.

"So fast…" Mila Rose trailed off as she could only stare with wide eyes at Ggio being sent through a building.

'_His sonido is the fastest I think I've ever seen… I didn't even sense it with my pesquisa.' _Grimmjow thought as he contained his surprise to his thoughts.

"It appears that they are as shocked as we are." Sung-Sun commented as she noticed Barragan's fraccion stood there motionless for several moments.

"They'll get over it in a few seconds." Grimmjow stated, still not taking his eyes off of the conflict in front of him.

_**Ichigo vs. Barragan's Fraccion**_

"Hgggya." Abirama grunted as he threw a punch at Ichigo with all the strength he could muster, himself actually being the first to move since Ggio had been sent through a pillar.

'_What?' _Abirama thought as his fist met nothing but air.

"You should be less impulsive." Ichigo replied from behind Abirama, prompting him to turn to around to face the source of the voice.

The moment he came face to face with his opponent, Ichigo sent a kick directly at Abirama's abdomen, sending him flying across the sands, gasping for air as he made the attempt to recover from the impact of the unexpected attack.

"Enough!" Findorr exclaimed as he ripped off more of his mask and charged Ichigo head on.

The moment Findorr's blade was about to make contact with Ichigo's clothing a hand stopped the blade cold.

'_I-I didn't even see him move.' _Findorr thought in disbelief as he found Ichigo's hand grasped around his sword.

"If this is all you've got this will end more quickly than I had hoped." Ichigo said before throwing Findorr by his sword and sending him flying into the air.

"Do not be so cocky!" Findorr exclaimed as he regained his footing in the air and began to fire a seemingly endless amount of indigo colored bala at Ichigo.

"It's like I said…" Ichigo began from behind Findorr in the air, shocking the blonde haired fraccion as he saw that Ichigo was no longer standing on the ground.

"Try to get serious." Ichigo demanded as he landed a punch on Fondorr's back, sending him plummeting to the ground with such speeds that velocity rings formed around him.

"Are you three going to just stand there and gawk?" Ichigo questioned as he flew down to the ground once more.

"Stomp Down, Mamut!" Nirgge shouted as he released his zanpakuto.

"Gliter, Reina de Rosas!" Charlotte chirped, following his comrade's lead and releasing his own sword.

'_I may want to regain my memory, but that is one thing I'd like to forget.' _Ichigo thought as he looked at Charlotte's release specifically.

"Scrape the Summit…" A voice began from behind Ichigo, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Aguila!" Abirama shouted, planning on taking Ichigo by surprise with his near instant increase in power.

_**Observers**_

'_So powerful…' _Sung-Sun thought as she just stared at Ichigo ripping through Findorr as if he was nothing, her mouth agape and her hands at her side as she did so.

"You know you're going to catch flies like that." Apacci chided, eliciting a chuckle from Mila Rose and bringing Sung-Sun out of her daze of amazement.

"S-Shut up!" Sung-Sun stuttered, a blush appearing on her face as she brought her sleeve up to cover her face once more.

"You can bring your sleeve over your face but it won't hide that blush of yours." Mila Rose taunted, causing Sung-Sun's blush to darken noticeably.

"Will you three be quiet, I want to see how he deals with those morons." Grimmjow said in a commanding tone, effectively ending the conversation between the three fraccion.

_**Ichigo vs. Barragan's Fraccion**_

"You've got to be joking." Ichigo said in an emotionless tone as the three charged him.

Ichigo used sonido to appear under Abirama and began to spin the eagle like arrancar by his foot, giving him momentum before Ichigo sent the bird flying at his companions, effectively sending Charlotte reeling along with the arrancar that had been thrown at him.

"Aaaaaaaa!" Nirgge roared as he charged Ichigo with blind furry, sending dust and gravel shooting up from the ground as his momentum built up.

As Nirgge was about to crash into his opponent, Ichigo grabbed his trunk and flipped him over his body, taking no damage from the blind charge and nocking said arrancar on his rear.

"Good try." Ichigo said before knocking the arrancar into a nearby spire with a powerful kick.

'_Hopefully he will still be able to move after this.' _Ichigo thought as he saw the elephant-like arrancar crash into a large boulder as he flew out the other end of the giant blue structure.

"Why is it you have not fought yet?" Ichigo asked, turning to face the last member of Barragan's fraccion he believed to still be capable of fighting.

"I do not care for fighting as a group against a common opponent." Poww replied, as he drew his zanpakuto.

"Why is that?" Ichigo asked, slightly confused at the arrancar's logic.

"I was under the impression we were of greater strength, it appears I was wrong." Poww replied as he drew his, compared to his large body, small zanpakuto from its sheath.

'_Considering how massive he is, he must be attempting to release.' _Ichigo reasoned as he just stood and watched Poww as he began to emit a descent amount of spiritual energy.

"Breath, Calderon." Poww uttered, causing green spiritual pressure to surround him as he began to increase in size.

"My name is Poww, stranger, and I am the strongest of the Numeros, and therefore the strongest fraccion. Be proud I deemed you worthy of seeing my release." Poww stated before opening his mouth and charging a large bright green cero.

'_Is this guy for real?' _Ichigo wondered as he raised his left hand in the air before the cero even fired off.

'_He can't possibly believe he can block my cero that effortlessly.' _Poww thought before firing off the doom blast.

_**Observers **_

Mila Rose and Apacci stared wide eyed and moth's agape at the sight before them. Ichigo had effectively taken down four of Barragan's fraccion without even so much as breaking a sweat, drawing his sword, or even using attacks other than punches or kicks.

"You know you two are going to catch flies like that." Sung-Sun quipped in a mocking voice, smiling as the two began to noticeably blush.

"S-Shut up!" The two stuttered simultaneously, eliciting a victories giggle from Sung-Sun.

"He's not really going to try to block a cero that strong with his hand is he?" Mila Rose wondered aloud.

"Guess we'll find out." Grimmjow replied, a grin coming to his face as he anticipated the end result.

_**Ichigo vs. Barragan's Fraccion**_

The doom blast spiraled towards Ichigo, pulsing with spiritual energy and seemingly ripping through the air. The attack, however, came to an abrupt stop as it came into contact with a surface it could not pass. Ichigo's outstretched had had stopped the cero in its tracks.

'_I-impossible…' _Poww thought as he stared at Ichigo with wide eyes in a state of complete shock.

The energy of the cero dissipated, revealing Ichigo to be standing on solid ground surrounded by a crater created from the blast of Poww's cero.

"That cero was nowhere near strong enough to do any damage to me. Had I taken a direct hit from it my clothes wouldn't even be damaged in the least." Ichigo stated before using sonido to appear in front of Poww's midsection with his right hand cocked back.

Ichigo sent Poww flying backwards, creating an uproar of sand and dust as he continued to fall backwards. Poww continued on this path eventually crashing into a large red spire, sending it falling to the ground along with him.

"I was hoping the so called strongest of the Numeros could provide me with at least some challenge." Ichigo thought aloud before the buzz of sonido sounded off from behind him.

"You let your guard down!" Ggio roared in his full resurrected state as he brought his blades up to strike Ichigo down.

'_I'd have thought that he learned from his initial mistake.' _Ichigo thought as he turned around to face Ggio, making no effort on his part to dodge the two assassin-like blades that were now being brought down at his chest.

Ggio's attack hit Ichigo dead on, only being successful in creating sparks as they slid down Ichigo's chest, revealing him to have not even been scratched by the surprise attack.

'_What?' _Ggio though in disbelief as his eyes widened at the sight of his strike not only doing no damage, but doing no damage while still being a successful blow.

"You seem surprised." Ichigo observed as Ggio's eyes became comically wide due to his shock.

"Allow me to break you out of your daze." Ichigo said before punching Ggio in his stomach and sending him spiraling into a series of pillars.

Ggio eventually landed in the sands after having crashed through multiple pillars, gasping for breath due to the force of the punch he received, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

_**Observers**_

"Not even a scratch." Mila Rose whispered quietly, her eyes widened alongside those of her fellow fraccion who could just stand there in awe at how one arrancar defeated six of the self-proclaimed strongest fraccion in Hueco Mundo.

"He didn't even have to draw his sword." Sung-Sun added, not sure whether she was more shocked or impressed.

"Tch…" Grimmjow snorted, obviously discontent with how the battle went.

"Those six weaklings couldn't even make him bat an eyelash, and here I was hoping to see what he could do." Grimmjow stated with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Well at least you know he's not weak." Apacci replied, still not able to take her eyes off of the ended battle.

"Ha, I guess your right about that." Grimmjow said, a grin of bloodlust coming to his features.

"Penny for your thoughts." Sung-Sun said, noticing the grin on Grimmjow's face.

"Just looking forwards to a friendly spar with our latest comrade." Grimmjow replied, his grin growing wider as he finished.

'_Now that would be a good fight to watch.' _Sung-Sun though, herself rather impressed with how Ichigo dismantled six powerful arrancar.

"Anyway…" Grimmjow said as he turned away from the three female arrancar.

"You three should probably go collect on your little bet." Grimmjow stated, releasing a smirk as before using sonido to exit the immediate area.

"Alright then, let's go ladies." Apacci ordered, using sonido before the other two could retort.

"I hate it when she does that." Mila Rose commented, a tick mark appearing on her head before she and Sung-Sun followed suit.

_**Ichigo vs. Barragan's fraccion**_

"Well at least I wasn't too bored during the fight." Ichigo mused as he surveyed the battlefield to find out where his six opponents had landed.

"Let's see… big guy resealed his sword and appears to be okay." Ichigo though aloud as he spotted Poww in his normal form dusting himself off though his clothes appeared tattered.

"From my pesquisa I can sense that the others are moving and are not in their released state." Ichigo stated before the sound of sonido broke him out of his observations.

"Not too bad." Apacci commented, sporting a cocky smirk on her lips as she addressed Ichigo.

"To be honest I was surprised they were so weak. They lacked teamwork and synergy when they were fighting me, relying on pure individual power to conquer a stronger opponent." Ichigo analyzed as the other two members of Halibel's fraccion showed up.

"I have a question if you don't mind my asking." Sung-Sun stated, sheepishly, bringing Ichigo's attention to her.

"Shoot." Ichigo replied.

"Exactly how tough is your hierro?" Sung-Sun questioned, having wanted to ask since she saw Ggio's blades create a lights display as they traveled down Ichigo's clothes.

"If you're referring to how that tiger guy's attack just slid off of my clothes than I have no idea, but I guess it would have to be something a lot stronger than his strike." Ichigo answered, shocking the three fraccion with his answer.

'_You'd think they've never seen someone take a sword before.' _Ichigo thought.

"Now, I would ask that you help me gather those injured so that you may collect on your bet." Ichigo stated.

"Why did you decide to go along with this anyway?" Sung-Sun questioned, still not understanding why Ichigo fought Barragan's fraccion in the first place.

"Boredom." Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone, making the three fraccion face fault.

"Alright stranger…" A voice began from behind the group, bringing their attention to its source.

"Just who the hell are you?!" Ggio shouted in an annoyed tone as he along with Findorr and Nirgge approached the three fraccion.

"What do you mean?" Apacci asked in an innocent tone, effectively making Ggio even further enraged than he had been previously.

"Don't play dumb you weak little elk! This guy clearly isn't a fraccion, and he sure as hell isn't a Numeros class arrancar." Ggio roared, obviously unhappy that he along with his comrades had been duped.

"Weak? Ha, that's rich coming from someone who just got manhandled in a fight without even making his opponent use his zanpakuto." Apacci taunted, a triumphant grin appearing on her face just to mock Ggio further.

"He was indeed an effective warrior. However your response does not answer the question." Poww commented as he walked towards the group with Charlotte and Abirama over his shoulders.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo interrupted, effectively shocking Ggio and his comrades that were present.

'_Kurosaki... so he was the source of that incredible spiritual pressure the other day.' _The arrancar thought similarly as they realized who it was that had defeated them.

"You idiots would've known that if you were there at the meeting this morning." Apacci taunted, prompting Sung-Sun and Mila Rose to chuckle at her comment.

"Now a bets a bet, so pay up." Apacci demanded, smirking at the defeated group of Barragan's fraccion.

"No way!" Ggio exclaimed, clearly indignant.

"If you expect us to comply with the bet after what you pulled, you are even more stupid than you appear." Ggio shot back, aggravating all three of the female fraccion.

"Exacta." Findorr commented, sharing Ggio's opinion on the ruse that the three had performed.

"I will comply with the agreement." Poww solemnly said as he rested his two companions on the ground.

"Poww, what the hell are you doing?!" Ggio exclaimed, voicing the shock that was experienced by every other member of Barragan's fraccion.

"We were defeated and we must honor our end of the agreement, Ggio." Poww replied.

"Moron." Ggio muttered incoherently.

"A bet is a bet…" Ichigo began, breaking his silence and becoming the center of attention for the moment.

"I refuse to acknowledge them as superior warriors when that is clearly untrue!" Abirama proclaimed, having woken from his state of unconsciousness.

"Considering that you six lack teamwork and rely on individual strength, I have no doubt that these three would put up more of a fight that you did." Ichigo stated, shocking Halibel's fraccion.

"And if we refuse?" Ggio begrudgingly asked.

"Then I will gladly inform you master of your disgraceful conduct." Ichigo replied.

'_If he doesn't even know what a fraccion is then how can he be aware of who their master is?' _Sung-Sun wondered, coming to the conclusion that he was bluffing.

'I _can't believe that worked.' _Ichigo though in amusement as he saw the color drain from the skins of Barragan's fraccion.

The arrancar shared a look with one another before nodding, as if deciding to get it over with as soon as possible.

"We acknowledge that you three are better warriors that we are." The arrancar said in unison, prompting each member of Halibel's fraccion to smile in victory.

"You damn well better." Apacci said.

'_I'm going to rip her throat out.' _Ggio though in anger, deciding not to voice his outrage due to Ichigo being more than capable of sending him through another wall.

"Now you six have some repair work to do if I recall." Ichigo said, prompting the arrancar present to release a sigh of annoyance.

"If you keep griping about it, I have no issue with creating more work for you." Ichigo threatened.

"No, we're good!" The arrancar exclaimed before using sonido to vanish before they said something that would make their lives more difficult.

"I'm going back to my room…" Ichigo began before turning to face Halibel's fraccion

"Thank you for alleviating my boredom ladies." Ichigo thanked, causing them to blush slightly.

"T-Think nothing of it." Sung-Sun replied before Ichigo vanished via sonido.

'_He's certainly cute enough…' _Each of the girls thought similarly as Ichigo disappeared from sight.

**A/N So that's the chapter, next one will be out on Thursday or Friday. **

_**Explanations: **_

**Aizen Lying to Ichigo**: Basically, if you didn't catch what I was trying to allude to. Aizen believes, and is correct in doing so, that if he just told Ichigo about his previous life, or who he is and who his mom is, all he would be doing is saying words, meaning that Ichigo wouldn't really remember. As with all things, Ichigo is a more… hands on… learner.

**Ichigo's Memory**: Ichigo will start to regain his memories, but for now he is just getting acquainted with Las Noches while Aizen thinks up how to rank the Espada and the Soul Reapers deal with not being able to enter Hueco Mundo.

**Yoruichi and Rukia's conversations**: For this one, I guess all I am say is I thought it was kind of ironic with Soifon and Yoruichi, but the main reason for these conversations was to illustrate how those that believe Ichigo is actually dead is kinda split, but you saw both ends of that stick. If you are feeling sad for Yoruichi, don't be. However, I can't say that she will be reunited with Ichigo in the near future, but I can say they will eventually be reunited.

**Halibel's Fraccion**: I will neither confirm nor deny the existence of these three in the harem, all I will say is that you will find out next chapter what I plan to do with this, but I will give you the hint that this harem will be small, and not all the characters in it have been introduced as a member.

_**Reviews**__:_

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: I sent you a PM for your questions, but I hope that now a few are answered/cleared up.

**awesomeness4286**:Thanks, glad people really like the story. Also, yes I thought it was amusing as well.

**QuasWexQuas**: 1) Awww, that's so sweet! 2) Thanks, I appreciate that you think that 3) Thanks, hope you like this one 4) His rank is a secret that is being kept away form everyone… even myself. :(

**L.G**: No problem at all. To be honest, you had a right to be mad considering that you thought I had singled you out and deleted your review just because you were trying to be helpful, which I understood. Also, yes I completely understand your opinion and I admit the story doesn't seem as original because a lot of things have not been explained, but in my mind the logic, effects, and reasoning I have behind things gives it a certain uniqueness, but you will see what I mean eventually.

**Antex-The Legandary Zoroark**: Thanks, always good to hear that people got what I was saying.

**darkmachines**: For you, I will say the privaron will have a slight role in this story, and a somewhat major role in the next, all things considered. Also I appreciate your reviews and thank you greatly!

**The Unknown ShiniGami**: I would make him the cero, but here is the thing about that. The cero Espada isn't really the most powerful. Yammy in his released state clearly could have been dealt with by any of the top three Espada because he was just a large clunky buffoon with a lot of spiritual energy. Ulquorra in his second form could easily kill him off as well, but the first might be a stretch, I just don't know. So no, not the cero, but since I said this I assume you can guess the rank now :)

**Mexican ninja1996**: She is sad and pissed off all at once, but don't feel to too bad, she see's Ichigo soon enough.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Thank you for your faith, I appreciate it given the fact that the temporary amnesia thing was something I only really did because if I had not, this thing would be astronomically harder to write, and I may have gotten writers block. Plus I intend to make this thing sort of long, so I guess this way is just better for me.

**hornet07**: True, but if I don't get reviews, I can be happy knowing people are not so confused, plus I may not answer everything people wanted to know *shrugs shoulder*

**eragonfan117**: Firstly, thank you, it means a lot to me that you, and other people, thought my reasoning was good. Also, thanks for the compliments, I hope I continue to please!

**Guest (1)**: Technically yes, they are capable of emotions and such, but they don't age nor will they die, such as their status as hybrids with the hollow nature still dominant. And yes, Gin will live.

**Friaku**: Thanks! Also, the tables get re-reversed soon enough xD (Memo: Powwor Ichigo….)

**Fire0770**: His power level is further explored in this chapter, but the fact that he is capable of doing things he should not be doing as an arrancar will be explored next chapter when the Espada are ranked again.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks for the review and the compliments. Also, your English is quite good, in fact, a good bit better than some people I know xD (They are American by the way)

**McCaberz**: Well not necessarily on the Ichigo is the Hogyoku's master bit, but Aizen was using the Hogyoku and in that instance it was reacting to Ichigo's spiritual pressure because it was so strong, but the reason it responded to Aizen is only because Ichigo does not know how to use the Hogyoku. He won't become its master, but let's just say that little rock aint got nothin on Ichigo.

**Forzen Spectre**: Sent you a PM regarding your worries ;)

**hmm01meh**: Thanks!

**Gust (2)**: Yes he will and he will not be an OC or to OOC in the future, he will just be Ichigo.

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it!

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, no problem, thanks again, here you go, and just because of your name I can tell you will (hopefully) like the coming chapters.

**T-B-R**: Thanks, and when it is finished I will go back and correct the earlier chapters (hopefully)

**TheMonkeyKid**: I aim to please!

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks, no problem, also yes I do, but since everything works out for her in the end I don't feel too bad. Also, yeah kinda messed up, but everyone who is skeptical and saying he could be alive is right xD

**Iceflames55**: Good to know!

**BleachFan21**: Thank you again for your help, and thanks for seeing my logic!

**Zerohero27**: Thanks!


	21. The Espada

**A/N Here is Chapter 21, not much else to say… except this.**

"_Aaroniero's high pitched voice_"

"**Aaroniero's other voice**"

**Also if its italicized and in the section labled "Memory Flash" it is something from Ichigo's first person POV, meaning it is as he say from that moment.**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 21**

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room**_

"Ugggg, long day." Ichigo sighed as he crashed on his bed.

'_On the bright side today is almost over and tomorrow I meet the Espada.' _Ichigo thought, before hearing a knock on the door.

"The door is open." Ichigo stated upon hearing the knock.

"Are you clothed?" A distinctly female voice asked from outside the door.

"Yes, you can come in." Ichigo replied tiredly, figuring that this could be one of two people who were visiting him.

"Hi Ichigo." Nel greeted as she opened the door and entered the room.

"Hello… uhhhh." Ichigo trailed off, not remembering the green haired woman's name.

'_He doesn't remember me…' _Nel thought with worry, unable to keep a frown from coming onto her face.

"Y-you don't know who I am do you?" Nel asked fearfully, looking at the ground as she did so.

"I ummmm." Ichigo rambled, noticing that the woman's mood seemed to sadden as she asked the question.

'_Dammit, why can't I remember?' _Ichigo wondered, becoming frustrated as he realized that she was obviously hurt by his not remembering who she was.

"I… I'm sorry… but I do not know who you are." Ichigo said in a low voice, causing Nel to visibly wince, as if his words were acid being poured on her flawless skin.

"I wish I could…" Ichigo began, attempting to cheer her up.

"It's alright." Nel interrupted in a shaky tone, obviously saddened at his response.

'_She must have been someone I knew rather well.' _Ichigo though, frowning as he noticed water begin to build up in the woman's eyes.

"I'll be going then… that was all I wished to ask you." Nel said as she turned towards the door.

"You don't have to leave you know." Ichigo said in a low comforting voice.

"It's aright… I'll see you around, Itsygo." Nel replied, fighting back tears in her eyes.

Upon hearing her words Ichigo immediately grabbed his head as it throbbed in pain. Images of memories began to flash before his eyes as he relived his past with the woman moment by moment.

_**Memory Flash **_

'_Where am I?' _Ichigo wondered as he found himself in a black void as image after image of a green haired child appeared, encircling his body as if many screens projecting a collection of memories.

'_Who is this kid?' _Ichigo wondered as he gazed at the screens that showed his memories.

"_Nel is an arrancar and Nel's full name is Nel Tu." The child chirped. _

"That name…" Ichigo said as he attempted to remember where he had heard the name before.

"_Nel knows that you'll never make it to Las Noches on foot in three days it's just too far a walk!" The child shouted._

Images of a dark forest now became projected onto the many screens. The child was now in the hands of several adjuchas class hollows, seemingly being kidnapped.

"_Please Itsygo, save Nel!" The child screamed, tears of fear running down her face as she was carried away._

A plateau overlooking a large canyon now appeared on the screens, the child was now giving what appeared to be Ichigo a death hug after seemingly being rescued.

"_Nel was so worried but Nel knew that Itsygo would save Nel again, Nel just knew it!" Nel cried out as she appeared to be giving him a death hug._

"Can she be the one who is in my room right now?" Ichigo asked out loud as he noticed the resemblance between the child and the curvaceous women whom he had seen enter his room a moment ago.

A dark cavern now appeared, crimson orbs of light appeared from one end, and from the other appeared the dark lighting of Hueco Mundo. Several Menos were preparing to fire their cero inside the cavern, threatening to bury him along with several others in ruble.

The child stepped up with her arms spread, looking as if she was going to try to block the attacks by herself.

"I feel… worry, the need to protect." Ichigo said as he recalled the feelings he had from the memory.

"_Itsygo protected Nel so now Nel will protect Itsygo." The child proclaimed as the ceros fired at the group._

"_Nel can absorb spiritual energy that is shot in a concentrated blast at Nel because Nel's mouth can hold it and then Nel can shoot it back." The child chirped, smiling wide seemingly at Ichigo. _

"Nel…" Ichigo said almost silently as he tried with all his being to remember who the child was.

"_I may not remember everything from my time out in the desert… but I remember you." The woman who had visited Ichigo began as she walked closer to Ichigo, staring into his deep brown eyes._

"She was the child…" Ichigo realized as his memories began to come back to him.

"_You saved me more times than I could count… you risked your life for me without even a moment of hesitation… and it is because of you and your friend that I was able to regain my true form. What's more, it didn't matter that I was a hollow and you were a…" The woman continued as she halted directly in front of Ichigo. He could see her staring deeply into his eyes before she continued. _

"_Ichigo… you are the reason that I'm still alive… I'd like to return the favor and never leave your side. I want to protect you and help you the way that you have helped me." The woman stated, her smile increasing in size as she gazed into Ichigo's eyes._

"_If you'll let me." The green haired beauty added, bringing Ichigo into an embrace as she finished. _

"Nel… I remember you…" Ichigo trailed off as he absorbed his previous memories of both the woman and the child she became.

"Your cracked mask… your promise." Ichigo said as he recalled what events brought Nel into her child form.

"I remember!" Ichigo shouted before he exited what appeared to be the center of his mind.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room**_

'_If he doesn't remember me then all I can do is hope that he is still the man he was before…' _Nel thought before she felt something grab her wrist.

"Wha…" Nel exclaimed as she turned to face Ichigo, who had a determined look in his eyes.

Ichigo puled Nel into an embrace, a gesture that she gladly returned though she did not know what brought about the sudden gesture.

"I remember…" Ichigo whispered into Nel's ear, causing her eyes to widen in shock.

"Y-you what?" Nel stuttered out, wanting to make sure that she had in fact heard him correctly.

"I remember you… Nelliel Tu Odelschwank." Ichigo said in a quiet voice. Nel almost immediately had tears in her eyes and buried her head in Ichigo's shoulder, confusing Ichigo by her sudden gesture.

'_He remembers me.' _Nel thought happily as she continued to cry tears of joy into Ichigo's shoulder.

"Why are you crying Nel?" Ichigo asked, rubbing her upper back to comfort her due to the fact that he thought she was upset.

"Ichigo…" Nel began as she brought her head back from Ichigo's shoulder in order to look into Ichigo's eyes.

"I'm crying because I'm happy." Nel stated, causing Ichigo to let loose a sigh of relief.

"I was reminded of something that you did when we you were still a child." Ichigo said cryptically, causing Nel to become slightly confused.

Before Nel could even ask what he meant, Ichigo kissed her forehead affectionately, causing her to blush deeply at his sudden gesture and become flustered.

'_He kissed me!' _Nel though excitedly as she tried, and failed, to regain her composure.

'_If her face gets any redder she's going to start shooting steam out of her ears.' _Ichigo though as he saw Nel's facial expression become a mix of dazed and exited.

"Something wrong?" Ichigo asked, not understanding the reason for her being flustered.

"W-what w-was tha-that for?" Nel questioned, still being flustered due to Ichigo's sudden action.

"Oh that? Well that was for saving me from the Menos in that cavern." Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone.

"Ichigo… I don't need an excuse to risk my life for you." Nel said as her blush subsided and she regained her ability to speak intelligently.

"Nel… I just want you to know that I appreciate it and above all else I'm happy that I remembered you. I can't quite explain it but I recalled feelings as I was remembering you… feelings that I could not understand, feelings that I didn't even remember having." Ichigo stated, causing Nel to smile at his words.

"That's sweet of you to say Ichigo." Nel replied as she began to close the distance between their faces, bringing their lips mere inches from one another.

'_Is she going to do what I think she is?' _Ichigo wondered as the moments Nel was moving closer seemed to go in slow motion.

"Ehem." The sound of someone clearing their throat came from the door, causing Nel to yelp and immediately break the embrace, a blush forming on her face as she turned to see who else was in the room.

"Hello Ichigo, Nelliel." Halibel greeted, sounding ever so slightly annoyed as she leaned on the doorframe.

"H-Halibel… how much did you see?" Nel asked sheepishly as she struggled to contain her blush for the second time.

"I walked in when he kissed your forehead." Halibel answered, causing Nel's blush to deepen.

'_Although why it bothered me is beyond my understanding.' _Halibel thought in frustration.

"Is there a particular reason that you are here?" Ichigo asked in an emotionless tone.

"I was just here to thank you for becoming my latest fraccion." Halibel replied, smirking under her collar and mask fragment though it didn't show.

Her comment caused Nel to become confused greatly and Ichigo to chuckle, a reaction that made Nel even more confused.

"I still don't know what the hell a fraccion is." Ichigo said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

'_He seems to be exhibit more emotions than before.' _Halibel thought as she noticed the change in Ichigo's demeanor from this morning.

"What is she talking about Ichigo?" Nel asked, deciding to voice her confusion.

"My fraccion roped Ichigo into fighting Barragan's fraccion. From what I'm told, he defeated all six without the use of anything other than his sword, and received not a scratch." Halibel answered, happier than she would admit that Ichigo had helped her fraccion teach Barragan's fraccion a lesson.

"They seemed to be quite impressed with your abilities Ichigo." Halibel added as she recalled how fervently her fraccion told the story to her.

"They kept me from dying of boredom." Ichigo stated, smiling ever so slightly at Halibel.

"They seem to be very loyal to you. I must admit I am impressed that an arrancar inspires such loyalty." Ichigo complemented, causing heat to rise to Halibel's cheeks.

'_Why the hell is this happening?' _Halibel wondered in frustration, being confused as to why below her collar her cheeks were becoming red.

'_I can't believe she walked in at the worst possible time.' _Nel though, showing no outward signs of annoyance other than a slight frown.

"By the way Nel…" Ichigo began as he turned to face Nel, who returned the gesture.

"From what I remember you had two arrancar named Pesche and Dondochakka following you around even after you reverted to a child. I believe that kind of loyalty is equally impressive." Ichigo complimented, causing Nel to turn her head with a blush on her face. Unlike that of Halibel's, she had nothing to hide her blush from her face.

'_He complimented me.' _Nel thought happily as she began to walk around the room in an attempt to hide her blush. Nel stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed something that caught her eye.

"Ichigo, what's this thing?" Nel asked as she picked up the golden pocket watch from the dresser.

"Oh… well I'm not entirely sure." Ichigo replied cryptically as he grabbed the watch and opened it.

'_Why can I still not remember who she is?' _Ichigo wondered as he stared into the picture.

"What is it that you are looking at?" Halibel asked out of curiosity as she began to walk towards Ichigo.

"Hmmm? Oh, see for yourself." Ichigo replied, throwing the watch at Halibel who caught it easily.

Nel immediately moved next to Halibel in order to see what it was that Ichigo was staring at.

'_A woman… she must be someone special to him if he brought this with him to Hueco Mundo while he was still a Soul Reaper.' _Halibel reasoned in though, becoming confused as she felt a pang of jealousy in her heart.

'_She's beautiful…' _Nel thought as she looked at the picture.

"I don't really know who she is." Ichigo stated, causing the two to take their eyes off of the picture and turn to Ichigo.

"Is it at all possible that this woman is or was your mate?" Halibel asked, causing Nel to wince slightly at her suggestion.

"A what now?" Ichigo asked, making Nel and Halibel sweat drop with deadpanned expressions.

'_He can't be serious.' _Nel and Halibel though similarly.

"A mate." Halibel repeated, prompting Ichigo to tap his chin in thought.

"I do not believe that this is the case…" Ichigo began, causing both women to inwardly sigh in relief.

"I feel something foreign whenever I look at that picture, and I likely will not know who that woman is, or what she is to me, until my memories of her return." Ichigo reasoned.

"Now if you'll excuse me I wish to rest. I will see you two in the morning." Ichigo stated, prompting the two women to leave the room.

'_What is it I feel when I look at this picture?' _Ichigo wondered as he stared down at the photo of the woman one last time before shutting the watch and getting into bed.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room (The Next Morning) **_

"Oh that was refreshing." Ichigo sighed out as he stretched his limbs before getting out of bed and heading towards the shower.

Ichigo put on his change of clothes after he had dried himself off and readied to leave the room.

'_Hopefully today will be more eventful.' _Ichigo silently hoped before a knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, you in there?" A child-like voice asked from outside the door.

"Yes, the door is open." Ichigo replied, prompting the individual to open the door and come into the room.

A young girl walked into the room, a horned mask fragment on the upper left side of her head. She was petite and had no visible hollow hole on her body.

"Any particular reason you are here?" Ichigo asked in and blank tone.

"Well you're not at the meeting yet, and I have a lot of practice in waking up lazy asses, so I volunteered to come and get you." Lilynette replied, referring to how she constantly "had" to wake up Starrk.

"As you can see I'm up, but what did you mean by 'practice'?" Ichigo asked, confused as to what she had meant.

"I'm the fraccion of an Espada that likes to sleep… a lot." Lilynette replied, frowning slightly at Starrk's laziness.

"I'd be willing to bet he's sleeping right now." Lilynette stated before the two used sonido to head towards the meeting room.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Room **_

"Can't I just go back to sleep?" Starrk griped as he slouched down in his chair with his hands covering his eyes.

"Be patient Starrk, Lilynette will be back with Ichigo shortly." Aizen replied from the head of the table, smiling in amusement as Starrk began to snore lightly.

Aizen sat at the head of the table with Gin and Tosen on his sides. Next to him in the seating arrangements were Ulquiorra and Barragan who sat to the seats between his right and left.

At the opposite end of the table a seat stay open for the missing member of the group. To the right of said chair was Nel, and opposite her was Starrk. Halibel sat next to Nel and next to Starrk sat Yammy. Nnoitora sat on the other side of the table, mostly due to his distaste of women that were stronger than him, and Grimmjow sat on the seat to his immediate left.

"Ooooooooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned out as he began walking around the meeting room.

"What do you suppose Wonderweiss is doing here?" Gin asked to no one in general.

"I requested his presence here today, Gin." Aizen answered.

'_He must be ranking them today… this should be interesting.' _Gin thought, his trademark smile widening as he tried to guess who would make a scene when the new ranks were given out.

"He appears rather anxious." Ulquiorra commented as he noticed that Wonderweiss was now walking in a perfect circle.

"I believe he is just bored." Tosen commented.

"Ooh." Wonderweiss uttered, as if agreeing with Tosen's statement.

"Starrk you lazy ass, wake up!" Lilynette commanded as she entered the room beside Ichigo.

"Wha!" Starrk exclaimed as he heard Lilynette's high pitched voice screaming at him.

"I take it this is the one you were referring to?" Ichigo asked rhetorically as Lilynette glared at Starrk.

"Excellent, now the meeting can commence." Aizen said in a cheerful tone as he brought the meeting to order.

"I believe that there are a number of arrancar not here that may be negatively impacted if they missed another meeting." Ichigo stated in all seriousness, confusing Aizen, but causing a number of arrancar to laugh.

"What are you referring to, Ichigo?" Aizen questioned, not quite understanding what Ichigo was talking about.

"He is referring to an incident in which Barragan's six fraccion were defeated by him yesterday under the perception that he was a fraccion class arrancar. Since they were not at the meeting yesterday, they did not know what he looked like." Halibel explained, fighting back a slight chuckle of her own.

"Arrogant brat." Barragan mumbled indignantly.

"Funny, I had the same perception as I fought those six arrancar." Ichigo stated impassively, not knowing that Barragan was the master of the arrancar he defeated.

"What was that worm?" Barragan roared as he sent a glare at Ichigo.

At this Halibel allowed herself a small chuckle as her fraccion were practically rolling on the ground in an attempt to contain their laughter.

"That is enough." Aizen stated authoritatively, wanting to bring the meeting back to order.

"I am sure that no one will receive injuries by not knowing about the events of this meeting." Aizen continued.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I believe it is time for each of us to introduce ourselves, starting with the Espada and working down to myself." Aizen stated, prompting the introductions to begin.

"Yammy Riyalgo, Decimo Espada." Yammy stated, sounding off his name and rank prior to his tattoo being removed.

"_Aaroniero_ **Arruruerue**, _Novena_ **Espada**." Aaroniero said after Yammy had introduced himself.

'_Two voices… kind of creepy.' _Ichigo thought as he heard the pitch change in the Espada's voice as he spoke.

"Octava Espada, Szayelaporro Granz." Szayel stated, giving a slight nod towards their latest comrade.

'_If he's not smart then his hollow mask is ironic.' _Ichigo thought as he observed the pink haired arrancar.

"Septima Espada, Zommari Rureaux." Zommari said in a stoic manner.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Sexta Espada." A blue haired arrancar said from the opposite side of the table.

'_I sensed him watching my battle yesterday with those six arrancar.' _Ichigo thought as he recalled sensing Grimmjow's spiritual pressure.

"Nnoitora Gilga, Quinto Espada." Nnoitora said, having a menacing grin on his face as he leaned back on his chair.

"I am Ulquiorra Cifer, Cuarto Espada." Ulquiorra stated.

'_That name seems very familiar to me.' _Ichigo thought as he heard his name and rank.

"I am Tia Halibel, Tercera Espada." Halibel stated, turning to face Ichigo who in turn facer her as well.

"I would ask that my fraccion formally introduce themselves to you seeing as how they've already met you." Halibel stated, giving confirmation to her fraccion.

"Cyan Sung-Sun." An olive green haired arrancar stated, giving Ichigo a slight bow as she introduced herself.

"I am Franceska Mila Rose." A dark skinned arrancar said, mimicking Sung-Sun's previous action by giving Ichigo a slight bow.

"Emilou Apacci." The tomboyish arrancar stated.

"Nice to finally know your names." Ichigo said, giving a slight smile towards the three ladies.

"I am Barragan Louisenbairn, Segunda Espada and once king of Las Noches." Barragan stated with conviction, confusing Ichigo slightly.

'_King?' _Ichigo thought, being shocked at Barragan's arrogant declaration.

"Oh, so you're the one who those six served." Ichigo thought aloud, causing Barragan to grunt in annoyance.

"Coyote Starrk, Primera Espada, nice to finally meetcha kid." Starrk said in a friendly tone.

"Nelliel, if you could introduce yourself." Aizen said, being unaware that Ichigo had recalled his memory of the bust green haired woman.

"He has regained his memory of who I am Lord Aizen." Nel replied, keeping her joy at that fact inside her thoughts for the moment.

"I recall the names of the two that server her as well." Ichigo added, referring to Pesche and Dondochakka.

"I see, that is indeed good news." Aizen said, his smile widening at this information.

"Oooooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned as he tugged on Ichigo's sleeve.

"Yes, what is your name?" Ichigo asked as he looked down to see the child-like arrancar.

"Wonderweiss Margela." The child replied, before going back to running around in circles.

'_He's and odd one.' _Ichigo thought as he just stared at Wonderweiss continuing his activities.

"My name is Gin Ichimaru." A teal haired man who gave off the image of a fox said from his spot next to Aizen.

"I am Kaname Tosen, myself along with Gin are the director generals of Lord Aizen's army, and we along with him are Soul Reapers." Tosen said.

'_That at least explains why they aren't hollows.' _Ichigo thought, still having not been filled in on the happenings of Aizen's rule as of yet.

"I am Sosuke Aizen, and I am the leader of the arrancar and lord of Las Noches." Aizen stated.

'_For now you are Soul Reaper.' _Barragan thought as he heard Aizen proclaim himself the lord of Las Noches.

"What are your goals, and more importantly what is our purpose?" Ichigo asked, not getting the whole picture just yet.

"I will get to that in a moment, for now I deem it necessary to inform you of the arrancar hierarchy, after which I will tell you of my goals." Aizen replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Ichigo.

"Each and every arrancar is given a number that signifies their strength." Aizen began.

"There are Numeros which are standard arrancar. Their strength increases as their number decreases. The top ten of these Numeros are a classification of their own, and they form the Espada." Aizen stated before being interrupted.

"Why is it that I do not have a number if each arrancar has one?" Ichigo asked, confused as why that was.

"Due to unforeseen occurrences during your creation your number along with the numbers off all of the Espada were erased." Aizen explained, quelling Ichigo's confusion.

"The Espada are capable of having fraccion should they choose. The fraccion of an Espada are considered to be their servants in a way, or closest comrades as Halibel, Nelliel, and Starrk would choose to use them." Aizen stated.

"Above the Espada are the leaders of the army, which are myself alongside Gin and Kaname." Aizen continued.

"They are to be considered the equals of the Espada, and they alongside you take orders from me." Aizen said, causing Ichigo to nod in understanding.

"As for my goals…" Aizen began as he took a bright blue sphere out of his pocked and held it out in his hand.

"This is the Hogyoku and once it is awakened I intend to create the Oken by sacrificing 100,000 human souls that reside in the current spiritually enriched zone within the world of the living." Aizen said.

"The Oken is a key of sorts that will allow me to enter the dimension that houses the royal family of the Soul Society. You may use your imagination as to what I intend to do." Aizen said, forming an even wider smile at the thought of finally ending the spirit king.

"Your purpose shall be to defeat the warriors of the Soul Society and ensure my victory over their king." Aizen explained.

"So our purpose is essentially to slaughter the Soul Reapers?" Ichigo asked, not entirely being on board with the idea. In truth, many of the things Aizen had gone over when he mentioned his plan unnerved him greatly, which confused him.

"I merely need them defeated, if that means dead then so be it." Aizen replied as he put the Hogyoku back in his jacket pocket.

'_His goals are simple enough… I suppose if he does help me regain my memoires through my service then I don't have any problems.' _Ichigo thought as he debated whether or not he was in support of Aizen's objective.

"Very well… I do have one question." Ichigo said.

"What might that be Ichigo?" Aizen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"How exactly are the Espada to be formed once more should they no longer have their numbers?" Ichigo questioned, voicing the question that many in the room had since arriving at the meeting.

"I'm glad you asked Ichigo… Kaname, if you would." Aizen said.

"Of course, Lord Aizen." Tosen replied as he walked over to a lever that was placed on a nearby wall.

"If you would all exit your seats and step back." Aizen said as he himself got up.

'_Why do we need to get up?' _The arrancar present though similarly.

Tosen pulled the lever, causing the meeting table to separate and sink into the ground. In its place was an immaculate purple crystal, cut as if it were a diamond and bright as the eclipsed moon in the sky. As the gears below came to a halt, the stone was raised on a large pedestal atop a separate table that had been beneath the usual Espada's meeting table.

'_So this is what he was working on yesterday.' _Gin mused as he recalled Aizen being rather busy after his talk with Ichigo.

"What is that?" Grimmjow questioned as he pointed towards the large stone that had taken the place of the table.

"This, Grimmjow, is called Josushi stone. I manufactured this stone in order to gauge spiritual pressure, and the reserves of it that an individual possesses." Aizen began as he stared at the large purple stone.

"Since it would be rather difficult to judge the power of the Espada after the addition of Ichigo Kurosaki and Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, I decided that this would be the best way to measure your strengths." Aizen explained.

"So how exactly does it work?" Ichigo asked as he walked up to the stone and pocked it out of curiosity.

"Each of you must place out your sword and direct your spiritual energy at the stone, it will then measure your spiritual energy." Aizen answered.

"Then why is Wonderweiss here?" Grimmjow asked, pointing a thumb at the childish arrancar, who was still running around sporadically in the meeting room.

"Wonderweiss may not be of sufficient mental capacity to become an Espada, but he along with two of the Espada that will be demoted still play a crucial role in what is to come. Therefre, I have decided that the meetings of the Espada will now consist of each person in this room with the exception of fraccion, who will be allowed in the meetings on a privileged basis." Aizen explained.

"Now all you need to do is hold out your weapon and point it towards the stone, once you have done that, direct your spiritual energy at the stone." Aizen ordered, prompting each Espada hopeful to draw their weapon and direct it towards the stone.

'_Here goes nothing.' _Ichigo thought as he directed his spirit energy at the stone.

"Wonderweiss please refrain from running around while this process is occurring." Tosen requested, being the only one Wonderweiss cared to listen to.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah." Wonderweiss moaned as he abruptly took a seat and began to watch the object the arrancar had pointed their swords towards.

The object began to glow as spiritual energy was directed into it. The stone activated, causing tendrils made of pure purple spiritual energy to from on the other edge of the stone and latch onto the zanpakuto of each arrancar that had been participating in the ritual.

"Is this supposed to happen?" Ichigo wondered aloud, slightly put off by a stone growing tentacles made of reishi grasping his sword.

The tendrils began to change color based on the spiritual signature of the person they were connected to. The tendrils eventually released one last glow of spiritual energy before instantaneously vanishing as the stone itself deactivated.

"The stone was designed to implant the number on the back of the hand you used to hold your sword during the ritual." Aizen stated, noticing that some of the Espada were curious as to what was supposed to happen next.

Each and every person in the room, save Wonderweiss and the fraccion present, instantly looked down at their right hand. Mixed reactions were had by those who saw their numbers some were outraged, some didn't care, and some were expected.

"This in an outrage, I will not stand for this!" Barragan exclaimed as he saw the number that had appeared on the back of his right hand.

"There is no way she is stronger than me after so long!" Nnoitora shouted in rage as he saw Nelliel's number.

"Be silent." Aizen ordered, dropping his smile as he raised his spiritual pressure to subdue the two enraged arrancar.

"Now if you are done with your outbursts…" Aizen began as he glared at Barragan and Nnoitora.

"Greet me with your new ranks, my Espada." Aizen ordered, his smile returning as he looked forward to seeing how powerful his Espada now were.

"Decimo Espada, Yammy Riyalgo." Yammy said as he held up his right hand.

'_Considering his release holds the power greater than that of each Espada, this makes sense.' _Aizen reasoned. Though Yammy was easily able to be outclassed by any of the Espada ranked four or above, his spiritual pressure was the greatest in amount once he entered his release.

"Novena Espada, Zommari Rureaux" Zommari uttered in a quiet voice, beggining the soud off.

"Octava Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." Grimmjow said, obviously unhappy with his number, but not choosing to have an outburst like Nnoitora or Barragan.

"Septima Espada, Nnoitora Gilga." Nnoitora said through gritted teeth, struggling not to have another outburst.

'_Then next should be Ulquiorra, meaning that Nelliel is at least two ranks higher.' _Aizen thought, recalling Nnoitora's outburst and it's obvious reason.

"Sexta Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank." Nelliel said, surprising Aizen slightly and casing Nnoitora to grunt in anger.

'_It appears that Ulquiorra is indeed still stronger than her.' _Aizen thought, being slightly disappointed.

What happened next shocked most everyone in the room to their core.

"Barragan Louisenbairn, Quinto Espada." Barragan spat obviously outraged that he was now a mid-tier Espada.

'_He is the Quinto?' _Everyone wondered similarly.

'_This should not be possible, after her should have been…_' Aizen thought before the object of his confusion chose to speak.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, Cuarto Espada." Ulquiorra said, getting many raised eyebrows as to how he retained his rank.

"How is it that you are still the Cuarto when I am the Quinto you worm?!" Barragan bellowed, believing that something had gone wrong with the ritual.

Ulquiorra made no comment, simply sliding his hand in his pocket and retaining his unemotional demeanor.

"Tercera Espada, Tia Halibel." Halibel said, lifting up her right hand so as to show.

'_It is interesting to see that their power has increased, but the fact that she is still the Tercera leaves two ranks open for Ichigo, and I can guess which he will be.' _Aizen thought contentedly, smiling as his plan had created such a powerful being to fight in his army.

"Segunda Espada, Coyote Starrk." Starrk said lazily, not even bothering to hold up his hand.

At that moment each and every arrancar's eyes stared directly at Ichigo as he held up his hand, revealing a number one tattooed to the back of his right hand. They had known he would be strong, but to be given the rank of Primera was shocking to say the least.

"It appears we have a new Primera." Aizen observed, his smile widening as his suspicions were confirmed.

'_How can a brat like that be given the rank of Primera, a title that should have been mine from the start… disgraceful.' _Barragan thought in anger as he glared at Ichigo.

"As for the rest of you…" Aizen said, shifting his vision to the unranked previous member of the Espada.

"You will not become Privaron Espada but nor shall you be considered part of the current Espada. However, for the time being, your presence is still requested at the meetings of the Espada." Aizen stated, deciding that it would be to his benefit to allow the two demoted members to continue to attend the meetings.

The numbers of the former Espada were as follows. Szayel had become the eleventh, and Aaroniero had become the twelfth, though his number appeared on his heads as it had previously due to his weapon being a large absorption organism.

"You are most gracious to those that serve you, Lord Aizen." Zommari said, giving Aizen a deep bow of appreciation.

"Think nothing of it." Aizen replied while smiling at the former Septima's blind loyalty.

"The next order of business revolves around some… disturbances that have been occurring in the Menos Forest as of late." Aizen began.

"Due to the method our latest comrade chose to travel to Las Noches, the guardian of the Menos Forest has been killed, along with a vast number of lesser hollows that formed his army." Aizen continued, getting a confused look at Ichigo.

'_I did what now?' _Ichigo thought in confusion, having no recollection of ever being in the Menos Forest, himself not knowing what the place actually looked like. All that he could think of was the location he saw when Nel in child form was being taken away from him.

"Zommari, I would ask you to investigate these disturbances and report back to me as soon as possible." Aizen said, prompting the voodoo priest-like arrancar to bow in understanding before using sonido to begin his assignment.

"In the meantime I would like to see a demonstration of our new Primera's power." Aizen stated, getting a nod of understanding from Ichigo.

"Very well, what would you have me do?" Ichigo asked.

"You will simply demonstrate the depths of your spiritual pressure, and enter your Resurreción form so that I may gauge your strength more accurately." Aizen replied.

"I'm sure we're all excited to… see… what it is you can do, eh Kaname?" Gin joked.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh Gin." Tosen replied, not appreciating Gin's jokes towards his lack of sight.

"If you're done Gin…" Aizen began, breaking Gin out of his usual antics.

"Very well…" Gin sighed.

'_No one appreciates my sense of humor.' _Gin thought.

_**Deserts of Hueco Mundo: Far Outside of Las Noches (Several Minutes Later)**_

"I believe we are sufficiently far enough for the test to commence." Aizen stated as he along with the arrancar who attended the meeting came to a stop in the middle of an open plane somewhere in the desert.

"Now Ichigo, what do you believe the best way to show the depths of your spiritual energy?" Aizen asked.

"I suppose I could just fire several versions of a cero, from weakest to strongest and that should give you a feel." Ichigo replied in an emotionless voice.

"Very well you may proceed." Aizen said, prompting Ichigo to walk out in front of the group and face the open desert in front of them.

A crimson orb of pure energy began to form at the center of Ichigo's chest, where his hollow hole had been during his hollowfication. The ball of energy spiraled to life, becoming the size of a large soccer ball.

"Cero." Ichigo uttered, releasing the doom blast from his chest and sending it ripping through the air. The ground below the beam shattered due to the strength of the attack, even though the air separated the two.

A massive explosion resonated as the attack detonated some distance away from the group, awing everyone present at the sheer force of a basic attack. They had seen his cero before, but they had assumed that was a result of the power that came from his ultimate form.

'_That was a cero?' _Many thought in disbelief as the saw the explosion stretch into the sky, creating a cloud of smoke and ashes from the disintegrated sand.

"It appears that your regular cero is quite powerful." Aizen commented, smiling as the image of the explosion reflected in his eyes.

'_It appears that his destructive capabilities may exceed my expectations.' _Aizen though hopefully.

"Can you fire a cero from your hands as well?" Starrk questioned, somewhat surprised that another arrancar was capable of firing a cero without a gesture.

"Yes, from my index finger on either hand. Firing from my chest requires less concentration but it is harder to control the power of the attack in this way." Ichigo replied.

'_So it seems he knows his stuff when it comes to combat.' _Starrk thought as a small smile began to creep onto his face at the sight of having another arrancar that was capable of using cero's so proficiently.

"My, my, that sure was impressive to say the least." Gin commented, his usual grin gracing his features.

"If that is your basic cero, then how strong is your Gran Rey Cero?" Halibel questioned, wanting to see more of his abilities.

"I can't recall using it but here goes." Ichigo said as he outstretched his right index finger in the same direction that he had fired his regular cero.

'_What is he doing?' _Many present wondered as they saw Ichigo make no gesture to bloody his finger.

"Ichigo, you know you have to…" Starrk began only to stop midsentence at the sight of a blindingly white cero forming at the tip of Ichigo's outstretched finger.

Before their eyes a cero began to be charged, radiating power as static bolts of spiritual pressure shot out of the orb of energy.

"Gran Rey Cero." Ichigo uttered, causing the cero that had been charged to fire off in the same direction as his previous blast.

The attack was colossal. Even after the astounding damage the previous attack had done, the sands below the ground were blown away as a beam of bright white spiritual energy tore through the ground and the air, its radius large and its traveling distance seemingly endless.

An explosion appeared off in the distance, yet despite the distance at which it had detonated, the winds began to whip on for miles as the expulsion expanded in the sky, a white glow illuminating its center that was the exact color of Ichigo's attack.

'_What power…' _Halibel thought in awe as she gazed into the white center of the explosion.

'_Ichigo just how strong have you become?' _Nel wondered as she stood in place, looking at the destructive capabilities of Ichigo's attack.

"The attack charges quite quickly but as you can see due to its destructive capability I prefer not to use it unless needed." Ichigo stated as he placed his hand by his side once more.

'_Thankfully he's still the same Ichigo, even if he did lose his memory temporarily.' _Nel thought, smiling at Ichigo's comment.

"H-How did you do that?" Grimmjow asked shakily.

"Do what?" Ichigo asked, appearing to be confused at the question.

"How did you fire a Gran Rey Cero without drawing blood and mixing it with your regular cero?" Halibel clarified.

"You mean you can't?" Ichigo asked in a surprised voice, believing that Gran Rey Cero was just an upgraded version of a regular cero.

Each of the Espada shook their heads in response, each having a surprised expression on their face as Ichigo seemed to do the unthinkable before their eyes.

'_This goes beyond the abilities he should possess, or perhaps this power is exclusive to his use.' _Aizen thought, more curious about how Ichigo preformed the attack than he was impressed by its destruction.

"Ichigo, if I may ask a question." Ulquiorra said, recovering from his momentary shock.

"You don't need my permission." Ichigo replied, eliciting a nod from Ulquiorra before he began to speak once more.

"Considering the speed you are capable of charging that attack in combat, is it safe to assume that your Gran Rey Cero is your most powerful attack?" Ulquiorra asked seriously, confusing Ichigo slightly with his question.

"Not really, Cero Oscuras is currently my most powerful attack." Ichigo replied, though me missed that Ulquiorra was referring to attacks he could use outside of his released form.

"Perhaps you could show us then?" Ulquiorra questioned, getting a nod from Ichigo.

"Ichigo if you are going to release then I would ask that you…" Aizen began before being cut off by the sound of spiritual energy spiraling to life.

Ichigo had outstretched his right hand and extended his index finger once more, this time pointing straight up into the sky. At the tip of his finger a black cero formed, surrounded by a thin lair of red, appearing to be the same color as his Getsuga Tenshou while in Bankai.

"Cero Oscuras." Ichigo said, shocking most of the arrancar present as they recognized the unmistakable look of the black cero.

The dark cero spiraled through the sky, the light shade of red that outlined the cero reflecting in the air, giving everything color as it eclipse the eternal mood. The spiritual pressure was incredibly dense and darkly powerful, if anything short of a captain took a hit from this attack, they would surely not live to regret it.

'_I can barely breathe…' _Halibel's fraccion thought alongside Lilynette as they struggled to stay on their feet due to the immense spiritual energy that was condensed into the cero.

The cero shot into the sky as far as the eye could see, eventually dissipating and subsequently returning everything to its natural color.

"At full power…" Ichigo began as he placed his hand at his side once more.

"You can see why it is my strongest attack." Ichigo finished, turning to face the flabbergasted looks of the arrancar who had witnessed the attack.

"What?" Ichigo asked, noticing that each and every one of them was speechless.

"I believe…" Ulquiorra began, being the first to speak.

"...that we are all rather surprised that you are capable of firing the black cero outside of your released state." Ulquiorra stated, confusing Ichigo slightly.

"It's like I said before, I don't know what you are talking about." Ichigo replied in a serious tone.

'_Yet another ability of his that intrigues me.' _Aizen thought curiously as the pondered what could allow Ichigo to remove some of his powers' supposed limitations.

"Perhaps it is best if we move on." Tosen commented, prompting Aizen to nod in agreement.

'_Why is it that they still seem slightly shocked?' _Ichigo wondered, noticing that some of the members of the group were still on edge.

"Due to the immense spiritual pressure that you exerted from the attack you just preformed…" Aizen began, getting Ichigo's attention.

"I would ask that you travel some distance away from us before releasing in order to avoid harming any of the fraccion present." Aizen requested.

After Aizen spoke, Ichigo was gone in a flash, or rather a sonido due to his current position.

"Fast." Starrk commented.

'_Was it me or did he slip past my pesquisa… maybe it was just me not paying attention.' _Starrk thought.

"Indeed, he slipped completely past even my pesquisa." Ulquiorra added, shaking Starrk of his thoughts that it was a fluke.

_**With Ichigo **_

"Hopefully this is far enough away." Ichigo thought aloud as he drew his sword out of its sheathe.

'_Come to think of it this is the first time I can remember releasing.' _Ichigo though ironically.

Once it was unsheathed, Ichigo held his zanpakuto out in front of him, holding it horizontally and placing his hand at the base of the blade. Dark-crimson spiritual pressure began to surge around his blade.

"Pierce the Heart…" Ichigo began, causing the Dark-crimson spiritual pressure to cover his body and surge into the sky. Above him clouds began to encircle the stream of spiritual energy that tore through the air.

"…Zangetsu." Ichigo uttered, causing the spiritual energy that had been released to climax in one violent explosion of spiritual pressure.

As the blast subsided, a crater could be around Ichigo as he stood in his fully released form.

_**With Aizen and the others**_

The skies themselves seemed to be at the mercy of Ichigo's vast spiritual energy as a beam of dark crimson stretched into the sky as far as the eyes could see before being abstracted by clouds that encircled the beam.

"Well, well, seems we have a powerful one in Ichigo, don't you agree Lord Aizen?" Gin commented, shielding his eyes from the dust that whipped off the ground as the wind raged due to Ichigo's release.

"Yes, it would seem that coming so far away from Las Noches was indeed the correct decision." Aizen replied, eager to see what Ichigo's appearance was like after his release.

'_At least I know he's not overcompensating with his immense spiritual pressure.' _Nel thought absentmindedly as the image that haunted her mind for the previous day had once again popped in.

'_Dammit Nel! Don't think like that!' _Nel mentally scolded herself.

The blast died down before a moment later the characteristic sound of sonido graced the ears of everyone present.

Before them stood the Primera Espada in his terrifying Resurreción form. His appearance was that of his final hollow transformation into a Vasto Lorde, minus the hollow hole in the center of his chest. In his right hand was an all black standard-sized zanpakuto with a dmall chain on the end of it, the mirror image of his Bankai. Oddly enough he retained his battle torn Soul Reaper clothing, giving him a more feral look.

'_His spiritual pressure feels… different from yesterday. Previously he exuded nothing but pure power but now… now it has an aura to it.' _Halibel thought as she tried to feel out the emotions of Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

'_I sense compassion, the need to protect and something more… sacrifice. It appears that you continue to surprise me Ichigo Kurosaki.'_ Halibel thought.

"You seem surprised." Ichigo commented, though his skeletal mouth did not move, having noticed that since he appeared no one had said a thing.

"It is as I assumed, your Resurreción is incredibly powerful." Aizen happily commented, his smile widening as he walked closer to Ichigo.

'_This is the first time I can ever recall using my Resurreción… but this form feels… incomplete. It's as if there is something I'm missing.' _Ichigo thought before Aizen's words interrupted his thoughts.

"Since you are a top Espada, I need to inform you of the rules in Las Noches." Aizen began.

"Firstly, Gran Rey Cero may not be used within the confines of Las Noches. In addition to this, all Espada of rank four or lower are forbidden from releasing due to the damage that would be caused to Las Noches." Aizen explained.

"However…" Aizen began, turning to face the other arrancar present.

"Since the Espada's power has shifted, all Espada of rank seven or lower are now forbidden from releasing under the dome of Las Noches." Aizen added, just to be on the safe side.

"For now we must all go back to Las Noches, the time is yours to use as you see fit." Aizen stated before disappearing via flash step.

**A/N Next chapter will be posted on Tuesday. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo's Powers**: Alright, so since Ichigo is a being that is techniqly a hybrid, he has certain privalages, but unknown to Halibel and Starrk, they are the same way. Firstly, Gran Rey Cero is a technique that uses blood mixed with a cero. In an unresurected state, mixing the blood of an Espada with the cero is, what I believe, a method of combining a normal cero with the spiritual prescence of a Soul Repaer. Since Ichigo's spiritual energy is different, he has no need to use his blood. Now for Cero Oscuras, this can only be used by an Espada in their released form. The released form is the absolute escence of the hollow powers of an arrancar, therefore a cero oscuras is the opposite of a Gran Rey Cero, meanting that Cero Oscuras is the complete use of hollow spiritual energy in a cero, so as a hybrid Ichigo can do this, but it is as I said, so can Halibel and Starrk.

**Ichigo's Memory As of This Chapter**: Though he remembers Nel, his memories were first person at this point, meaning that he only remembers her and her "brothers" which means that he doesn't know he is a Soul Reapre… yet, and he doesn't remember what brought him to Hueco Mundo… yet.

_**Reviews**_:

**awesomeness4286**: Thanks, that was the intent.

**friaku**: Again thanks, I appreciate the compliment.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: That would be a good idea… ^^

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Thanks, also certain people and locations will trigger the memories and the method in which they choose to return changes depending on his current situation.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, and you should be… O_O

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks, also with Barragan's fraccion, my opinion on them is mixed, meaning I like a few of them but dislike a few. Either way why I had that written was twofold and it comes into play in later chapters.

**darkmachines**: Thanks, also the main reason I had Ichigo fight them, or rather the biggest two reasons, come into play later, also I fixed Poww's name, thanks for pointing that out.

**McCaberz**: Thanks, also your either a huge troll or you should be a very, very, very, very concerned older brother… ()_()either way no problem.

**The Unknown Shinigami**: Yes, Ulquiorra was the strongest of the former Espada, that is why he retained his rank, but Halibel and Starrk gained a slight amount of power in the form of something that… I will not spoil :P

**MZ**: Thanks, always good to hear compliments.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Yeah, but when have I ever confirmed anything for you guys beforehand? ;D

**Guest(1)**: Eventually yes, but his powers are underdeveloped at the moment, so as his memories return, more things about his powers come to light, as do the implications of what he is.

**TheLastNanaya**: In this story, it will be like a confirmed 4, one of whom has not been revealed.

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it, also I kind of agree it would have been a good time for one, but I wanted the fact that he was human/had a family bit to be saved for a little bit later.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, your right, and also I am glad people like how I write the fight scenes, hopefully they pain an accurate picture.

**BleachFan21**: Great!

**Fire0770**: I did that more in this chapter as well, but it wasn't really his fighting abilities, that will be saved for a little later. As for his hierro, not really but his spiritual energy is used to compensate, much like Kenpachi did vs him and much like Yoruichi taught him to do earlier.

: Glad to hear to liked it, also the face throw thing was done by Ulquiorra in his second release when he and Ichigo fought before Ichigo hollowfied but it was equally badass. Also I am curious about the Kyle XY thing, never heard of it but I'll take your word for it xD (Sorry if your name is cut off, the doc editor is weird... TT)

**Scarease**: Thanks and count on it.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, I will, and maybe…(grins evilly)

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, glad to hear it, you were right, also the answer to your question is that he achieved it after being ranked, which was at a time when the Espada were assembled. This is at least how it is in my story and really the only way that it could make sense considering he was the strongest Espada.

**eragonfan117**: Thanks, he now officially is, and also yeah I don't like ridiculously large harem's, takes away too much from the story… if there is one that is.


	22. Coping

**A/N So here is the chapter, little shorter than the previous one, but it gets longer next chapter… I think/hope. Anyway, next chapter will be posted on Friday and since I didn't explain everything I intended too in last chapter's **_**Explanations**_: **I will add onto some stuff this chapter. Fair warning, a lot of this chapter excludes Ichigo because the previous two or three was all about him but it leads into what adventure (And with whom ;)) Ichigo will be going on next. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not won Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 22**

"Pierce the Heart…" Ichigo began, causing the Dark-crimson spiritual pressure to cover his body and surge into the sky. Above him clouds began to encircle the stream of spiritual energy that tore through the air.

"…Zangetsu." Ichigo uttered, causing the spiritual energy that had been released to climax in one violent explosion of spiritual pressure.

As the blast subsided, a crater could be around Ichigo as he stood in his fully released form.

_**With Aizen and the others**_

The skies themselves seemed to be at the mercy of Ichigo's vast spiritual energy as a beam of dark crimson stretched into the sky as far as the eyes could see before being abstracted by clouds that encircled the beam.

"Well, well, seems we have a powerful one in Ichigo, don't you agree Lord Aizen?" Gin commented, shielding his eyes from the dust that whipped off the ground as the wind raged due to Ichigo's release.

"Yes, it would seem that coming so far away from Las Noches was indeed the correct decision." Aizen replied, eager to see what Ichigo's appearance was like after his release.

'_At least I know he's not overcompensating with his immense spiritual pressure.' _Nel thought absentmindedly as the image that haunted her mind for the previous day had once again popped in.

'_Dammit Nel! Don't think like that!' _Nel mentally scolded herself.

The blast died down before a moment later the characteristic sound of sonido graced the ears of everyone present.

Before them stood the Primera Espada in his terrifying Resurreción form. His appearance was that of his final hollow transformation into a Vasto Lorde, minus the hollow hole in the center of his chest. In his right hand was an all black standard-sized zanpakuto with a small chain on the end of it, the mirror image of his Bankai. Oddly enough, he retained his battle torn Soul Reaper clothing, giving him a more feral look.

'_His spiritual pressure feels… different from yesterday. Previously he exuded nothing but pure power but now… now it has an aura to it.' _Halibel thought as she tried to feel out the emotions of Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

'_I sense compassion, the need to protect and something more… sacrifice. It appears that you continue to surprise me Ichigo Kurosaki.'_ Halibel thought.

"You seem surprised." Ichigo commented, though his skeletal mouth did not move, having noticed that since he appeared no one had said a thing.

"It is as I assumed, your Resurreción is incredibly powerful." Aizen happily commented, his smile widening as he walked closer to Ichigo.

'_This is the first time I can ever recall using my Resurreción… but this form feels… incomplete. It's as if there is something I'm missing.' _Ichigo thought before Aizen's words interrupted his thoughts.

"Since you are a top Espada, I need to inform you of the rules in Las Noches." Aizen began.

"Firstly, Gran Rey Cero may not be used within the confines of Las Noches. In addition to this, all Espada of rank four or lower are forbidden from releasing due to the damage that would be caused to Las Noches." Aizen explained.

"However…" Aizen began, turning to face the other arrancar present.

"Since the Espada's power has shifted, all Espada of rank seven or lower are now forbidden from releasing under the dome of Las Noches." Aizen added, just to be on the safe side.

"For now we must all go back to Las Noches, the time is yours to use as you see fit." Aizen stated before disappearing via flash step.

_**World of the Living: Urahara's Shop **_

"So…anyone got a clue as to what our next move is?" Isshin asked to no one in particular.

"To be honest Isshin, I don't really know what we can do other than prepare to defeat Aizen." Urahara replied, taking note of Isshin's irritated expression upon hearing his answer.

"You expect me to…" Isshin shouted before being cut off.

"Isshin, may I speak to you for a moment, in private?" Ryuken questioned, though it sounded as if it was a demand.

"Fine." Isshin replied, immediately after which the two walked out into the hallway.

"Should I just assume you're going to scold me for being pissed about all this?" Isshin asked rhetorically, though he was met with a shake of the head.

"No… I asked to speak to you alone because what I'm about to say I want no other person to hear except for you." Ryuken replied cryptically, something that confused Isshin.

'_What the hell is he going to say?_' Isshin wondered, momentarily forgetting his rage.

"When you came to me for my help, do you know why I forsake everything I told my son during his training, why I broke the very rule I gave him by knowingly affiliating myself with Soul Reapers?" Ryuken questioned, though Isshin just responded with a dull shake of his head.

"Well I will explain it to you. When you came to me and asked for my help, I was about to say no, until I remembered something that Masaki had told me before she disobeyed every tradition that I had told her of and went off to rescue you all those years ago." Ryuken explained.

"She told me that she admired how I thought about the Quincy and tradition and about the future and the consequences of my actions, but after she said this she told me something that I will never forget until my dying day, for better or for worse. She told me that she wasn't me, and that she will always be one who made sure that she could do what she could here and now… do you know why she said this?" Ryuken questioned, once again prompting Isshin to shake his head, though he was now clearly interested in Ryuken's words.

"She said this because if she decided not to take action because of rules or customs and somebody died because she did nothing, she said she would never be able to forgive herself." Ryuken clarified before getting to his point.

"That is why I chose to forsake tradition to help you, to save your son who I believe is still alive. And that is why you must do what you can now and keep calm so that we may explore all of the options we are able to, so that we may do everything in our power here and now." Ryuken stated before walking off.

Isshin just stood there in stunned silence at his friends words. Ryuken never was one for emotional speeches or words of comfort, but it was exactly what he needed to hear, and so, he walked back into the room, taking the advice to heart.

"Feeling better Isshin?" Ryuken asked impassively, though the former captain just smiled at the Quincy before nodding.

"Good… now back to the matter at hand. It seems to me that we should seek to bolster our strength with additional allies." Ryuken mused, knowing full well that they were in the dark as far as how powerful the arrancar were.

"Other than you along with Ichigo's friends I really don't know who else could be called upon to fight." Kisuke replied.

A few moments passed by in absolute silence as each person tried to think of someone who would be able to help against the arrancar.

"What about the vizards Kisuke?" Isshin asked, having recalled that they attempted to recruit Ichigo.

"I doubt they would actually help us." Urahara answered seriously.

"Why? They have no love for Aizen, and I'm sure they would agree to a temporary alliance with the Soul Society if we were to tell them what happened to Ichigo… you do know how touchy they are about their own kind." Yoruichi stated, her unreadable expression conveying no emotion whatsoever.

"I really don't know about that Yoruichi, they hate Soul Reapers with a passion. However, given the circumstances…" Urahara trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.

"I have to inform them of what happened to Ichigo considering I no longer have him to hand over. I suppose I could ask them then." Urahara said, somewhat hopeful that the group of ex-Soul Reapers would be able to help out.

"Aren't you forgetting something Urahara?" Ryuken asked, being ever the analyst.

"What might that be?" Urahara asked amusedly.

"The head captain." Ryuken simply stated, instantly causing Urahara to realize what he meant.

'_Dammit… he probably won't be too happy if I purpose that they help us out against Aizen. But maybe given the fact that we're in the dark he will accept their help… if they offer it that is.' _Urahara thought as he pondered what Yamamoto's reaction would be.

"I will speak to the Head Captain Yamamoto personally when I go to the Soul Society for the meeting later today." Urahara replied, getting a nod of understanding from the skeptical Quincy.

"Do you really think old man Yama is going to allow the vizards to fight with us?" Isshin asked, wanting to know if Urahara just thought this was wishful thinking.

"It's hard to say if he will allow them back after what happened over a century ago…but to be honest I'm still not even sure that the vizards would accept an alliance even if it was temporary. They may owe me one for helping them out all those years ago but this may be asking too much." Urahara replied, shaking his head at the complicated situation before him.

"But should the vizards agree to help us, then our strength on the battlefield multiplies substantially, which is something we need at the moment with Ichigo gone." Yoruichi added, prompting everyone else to nod in agreement.

"To be truthful, only time will tell what's going to happen." Urahara mused before exiting the room.

_**Karakura Town: Orihime's Residence**_

'_I suppose I should check up on her given the situation.' _Uryu reasoned in thought as he knocked on the door to Orihime's house.

"Who is it?" A feminine voice asked from behind the door.

'_She has company?' _Uryu wondered as he didn't recognize the voice to be Orihime's.

"It's Uryu, may I come in?" Uryu asked immediately before the door opened to reveal a very serious Rangiku Matsumoto.

"What do you want?" Matsumoto barked, still upset that Uryu was insensitive to Orihime the other day.

"I-I'm here to see Orihime." Uryu replied, stuttering slightly as he saw Rangiku glare at him.

"Are you going to make her cry again?" Rangiku chided, making Uryu frowned as if ashamed of himself.

"Whatever, come in." Rangiku said before turning her back to the Quincy clad in white.

'_When is she ever serious?' _Uryu thought in shock, keeping his calm demeanor as he entered the room.

Uryu entered the house and immediately noticed several not so subtle changes. Firstly, several Soul Reapers were sitting in the living room, lounging on the couches. Secondly a large television like object took up the entirety of a wall section on the far side of the room. Lastly, no one was saying a thing and Orihime was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Orihime?" Uryu asked confusedly, becoming slightly frightened when he heard Matsumoto growl at him lightly and send a death glare at him.

"Oriihme is in her room at the moment, I thought it best that she not be disturbed due to her mood." Hitsugaya replied as he walked down the stairs.

"Captain Hitsugaya, what do you mean? Is she upset?" Uryu asked, earning a hard slap to the face from Rangiku.

The slap was hard enough that it sent him to the ground and caused a red handprint to appear on his face at the point of impact.

"What was that for?!" Uryu exclaimed as he got up from the floor.

"You really can't think of a reason that she would be upset. Like I dunno, maybe the guy she loved is dead?" Rangiku growled out.

'_Guy she loved?' _Uryu wondered, his eyes becoming comically wide.

"Sh-she loved Ichigo, when did this happen?" Uryu stuttered.

"Didn't Urahara tell you?" Rangiku scoffed before dropping her look of annoyance as she noticed Uryu was actually confused.

"H-he didn't?" Rangiku asked in a surprised tone.

Uryu shook his head, his eyes still widened at the new information that was brought to his attention.

"I'm going to leave." Renji stated, getting up from his position on the couch.

"I think I will as well… have that meeting to get to and everything. Rangiku, when you're done go to Urahara's and head to the Soul Society." Hitsugaya said before he walked out along with Renji. He was followed by Ikkaku and Yumichika who walked out without saying a word.

"You know she was kidnapped right?" Rangiku questioned seriously after everyone else had exited the room.

Uryu nodded, still not having said a word since he heard Rangiku tell him Ichigo was in love with Orihime.

"Well, clearly you know Ichigo is dead, but the rest of the story is the reason Orihime is currently so depressed…" Rangiku began, frowning as she remembered how sad Orihime was when the two walked to her house during the day she returned.

"Orihime was bait to get Ichigo to Las Noches. Aizen told her this and said she would be leaving, after that Aizen let the two say goodbye." Rangiku began, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"She told Ichigo that she loved him… Ichigo said nothing in return because she asked him not to. She thought it better that way since the two wouldn't see each other again for some time." Rangiku continued, rubbing her eyes to rid them of the light amount of tears that had formed.

"Orihime kissed him… then she was asked to leave only to watch as Aizen personally stabbed Ichigo in the chest straight through his heart." Rangiku said, prompting Uryu to hang his head out of sadness for what his friend had to experience.

"Uryu… she watched the man she loved die right in front of her… she watched as his eyes became lifeless… she watched as Ichigo fell to the floor for the last time in his existence." Rangiku stated in a shaky voice, obviously being somewhat touchy on the subject. She wasn't aware of weather her sadness on the matter was more so because Ichigo had died, or because she felt a similar way when Gin had left, either way, the sad feelings were just the same.

"Rangiku… I… I'm so sorry… I didn't know that she confessed to him… I didn't know." Uryu said in a quiet tone as for the first time in his life since the passing of his grandfather, he felt tears begin to form in his eyes. In his mind, no person should have to go through something that horrible, let alone someone as innocent as Orihime. Though they were only friends, Uryu had always thought that her involvement in the business of Soul Reapers was only something that would lead her to pain, emotional or physical, and this day he was proven right in that assumption.

"I would ask that you leave… I need to talk to her about what happened… she needs a friend right now and I don't think you are in the best shape to comfort a heartbroken girl." Rangiku stated respectfully, raising a good point.

"You are correct, but tell her I am sorry… I could only imagine what she was going through." Uryu replied before exiting the house without saying another word.

"Ichigo… why did you have to die?" Rangiku wondered aloud, allowing light streams of tears to fall from her eyes.

_**Orihime's Room **_

'_Why is it that I still can't shake this feeling that it's my fault he's gone… why is it that I still blame myself?' _Orihime wondered as she tossed and turned in her bed.

'_No matter how many times I tell myself that I couldn't have done anything… a little part of me will always believe that because I let myself be kidnapped he was killed.' _Orihime thought sadly.

An abrupt knock on her bedroom door brought her out of her depressed thoughts.

"Come in." Orihime said.

"Orihime… are you ready to talk?" Rangiku asked as she entered the room and sat at the foot of Orihime's bed.

"I think I am…" Orihime said in a quiet voice, barely making herself audible.

"Why are you so upset… your smart enough to know that what happened wasn't your fault… you know that Ichigo wouldn't want you to be upset." Rangiku said in a comforting tone of voice.

"I know." Orihime replied as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"It's just that… I can't shake the feeling that it was my fault no matter how many times I tell myself it wasn't." Orihime said before Rangiku brought the girl into an embrace.

"It looks like you just need time Orihime…" Rangiku said as she rubbed Orihime's upper back in order to comfort her.

"It takes time to mend a broken heart… but it will heal if you live on for the sake of the one you love" Rangiku added as Orihime sobbed into her shoulder.

"T-Thank you Rangiku." Orihime said as she tightened her arms around the woman who had gone out of her way to comfort her.

"Just rest for now Orihime." Rangiku said in a quiet tone as she let Orihime down and tucked her into bed before exiting the room.

'_This whole Ichigo dying thing is such a mess… we need something to take our minds off of it.' _Rangiku thought as she began to walk down the stairs into the living room.

'_Now how can I get everyone to relax?' _Rangiku wondered before snapping her finger a moment later in realization.

"That it!" Rangiku exclaimed, having come up with an idea.

"Now all I have to do is get the permission of the head captain and it'll be all set." Rangiku said excitedly before heading over to Urahara's.

_**Soul Society: Captain's Meeting (One Hour Later)**_

"This meeting of the Soul Society's forces and their allies is hereby called to order!" Yamamoto bellowed, thus beginning the meeting.

"Kisuke Urahara, it has been brought to my attention that you an important matter you wish to discuss with us." Yamamoto said, eliciting a nod from Urahara.

"Then we shall start with your matter before continuing the meeting." Yamamoto stated, prompting Urahara to begin to speak.

'_Here goes something…' _Urahara thought.

"As you are no doubt aware, we are completely in the dark in terms of how powerful our opponents are." Urahara began, prompting several captains to nod in agreement.

"Due to the Garganta being closed off on our end, unless the Espada choose to enter the world of the living, we won't know how strong they are, and on top of that, Ichigo Kurosaki is now out of our reach, dead or otherwise." Urahara continued.

"Is there a point to you stating what we all know to be true Kisuke Urahara?" Mayuri asked in an annoyed tone.

"Since we are in the dark and potentially outgunned, I would advise that we seek to gain allies that could possibly fight alongside us." Urahara replied, causing many of the captains and lieutenants to become confused.

"I'm speaking of the vizards." Urahara explained, causing several Soul Reapers to go wide eyed in shock, but the majority to remain confused.

"They are outcasts of the Soul Society. I will not have them join our cause." Yamamoto declared, not leaving much room for argument.

"We don't really know where they are anyway." Kyoraku added, though what happened next he somewhat predicted.

"What if I did?" Urahara asked seriously, shocking Kyoraku slightly.

"Then it changes nothing, I will not allow them to aid us." Yamamoto replied, hiding his annoyance at the 'shopkeeper' withholding the information from him.

"Excuse me sir, but who are these 'vizards'?" Hitsugaya questioned, voicing the confusion of a majority of Soul Reapers present.

"They were once Soul Reapers who were experimented on by Aizen and eventually they became hollows. They fought for control of their hollows and are now able to use their strength in addition to the hollow powers that were forced on them." Urahara explained though he raised more questions than he answered.

"Why would we want to fight alongside a half hollow?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"Many of you have." Yoruichi said cryptically.

"What do you mean by that Lady Yoruichi?" Soifon asked, curious as to whom among the vizards she may have met.

"Ichigo Kurosaki was part hollow, though he was unable to learn how to control its power." Yoruichi replied, immediately quelling any argument that all vizards were pure evil.

'_That explains what had occurred during our battle.' _Byakuya thought as images of his battle with Ichigo played over in his head.

"This changes nothing." Yamamoto stated, refusing to give any ground on the issue.

"Now hold on there just a sec old man Yama…" Kyoraku began in his usual tone.

"If all of the vizards are still alive, we'd be getting several captain class Soul Reapers back on our side, something that we could use if we're going up against an opponent whose strength we don't fully know." Kyoraku reasoned, making Yamamoto stroke his beard as if thinking on his words.

"His words hold wisdom head captain." Ukitake added respectfully.

"I also believe that it would be to our advantage if we were to form an alliance with them." Unohana stated, sealing Yamamoto's opinion on the issue. Above all else, he had always valued the opinion of these three captains respectively, to them they were like his family, which was saying something considering how old he actually was.

'_With the loss of Ichigo Kurosaki and the defection of three captains due to Aizen's rebellion, the strength of the vizards would indeed greatly bolster our forces.' _Yamamoto mused while stroking his beard in thought.

"Very well…" Yamamoto conceded, his voice holding its usually authoritative tone.

"Kisuke Urahara, I hereby give you the blessing of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to seek an alliance with them in the hopes of ending the threat that is Sosuke Aizen." Yamamoto declared, causing Urahara, among others, to smile slightly.

"You won't regret this head captain." Urahara promised, giving Yamamoto a slight bow of appreciation.

"I had better not, Kisuke Urahara." Yamamoto warned, causing Urahara to sweat drop.

"Now if this part of the meeting is over…" Kurotsuchi began, successfully getting everyone's attention.

"I would like to point out that it is in our best interest to strengthen the defenses of the Soul Society." Kurotsuchi suggested, getting many raised eyebrows from those present.

"What do you mean by that Captain Kurotsuchi?" Hitsugaya inquired, not seeing any logic to the clown-like captain's suggestion.

"I refer to the fact that a Garganta may be opened within the confines of the precipice world. If one can be opened within that area, it is not entirely ludicrous to believe that a Garganta can be opened within the confines of the Soul Society." Kurotsuchi explained.

"Even if Aizen were bold enough to invade the Soul Society, the Seireitei is surrounded by a barrier made of Sekkiseki stone, which cannot be broken by any known attack." Byakuya stated, his thoughts being that of the majority of people in the room.

"On top of that, since the ryoka incident, the barrier around the Soul Society has been strengthened to the point that it would take a near bottomless ocean of spiritual energy to destroy it." Hitsugaya added.

"Regardless, Aizen has caught us off our guard more than once since his defection. I will leave no stone left unturned for the duration of this war." Yamamoto stated with authority.

"So shall I look into it, head captain?" Kurotsuchi questioned with a sickening grin etched on his face.

"You alongside Kisuke Urahara shall make sure such an event does not occur." Yamamoto replied, making Kurotsuchi drop his grin.

'_I refuse to work with that infernal man!' _Kurotsuchi though angrily as he restrained himself from making a scene at the meeting.

"Been a while since we've worked together, hasn't it Mayuri?" Urahara asked rhetorically as he pulled out his fan and began to wave it in front of his face.

"I loathe you." Kurotsuchi growled, causing several of those present to chuckle.

"This meeting is adjourned, return to your duties." Yamamoto stated.

One by one the Soul Reapers exited, leaving only Yamamoto in the room with one hold out who needed to discuss something with the captain commander.

"Is there something you need lieutenant Matsumoto?" Yamamoto questioned.

"Actually yes, I would like to speak with you head captain." Matsumoto replied.

"Be quick about it." Yamamoto ordered.

"Have you noticed that most of the powerful Soul Reapers in the squads have suffered a substantial decrease in moral due to recent events?" Matsumoto asked, trying to sound at least somewhat strategic about her reques.

"Yes indeed, the purpose of this plan seems to have been for our resolve to be weakened in order for Aizen to crush us when the time comes." Yamamoto replied, though he was extremely frustrated that he had allowed this to happen.

"I was wondering if you would approve an idea of mine that would allow everyone to relax and forget about the whole ordeal." Matsumoto said, causing the head captain to stroke his beard in thought.

"If I deem your idea capable of such an accomplishment I will allow it, but first I must know what it is I would be approving." Yamamoto stated, causing Matsumoto to smile slightly.

"Well my idea is…" Matsumoto began.

_**Soul Society: Squad 13 Barracks **_

"Rukia." Renji called out as he ran down the halls of the barracks.

"Rukia." Renji shouted as he continued to search.

'_Dammit where is she?' _Renji wondered, becoming slightly frustrated that he was on a time limit before he had to return to the world of the living.

'_There she is.' _Renji thought as he saw the unmistakable form of Rukia in the squad's training grounds.

"Hado Number 33, Sokatsui!" Rukia yelled, sending a powerful ball of spiritual energy into the cliffside, obliterating a good chunk of it.

"Practicing Kido are we?" Renji asked rhetorically as he came up from behind Rukia.

"Renji!" Rukia said happily as she ran over to her childhood friend.

"Back from the world of the living already?" Rukia asked, causing Renji to frown slightly.

"I won't be here for long. I still have to return to my post." Renji replied.

"I see…" Rukia trailed off.

"Rukia, how have you been holding up since… you know what… happened?" Renji asked, taking note that Rukia didn't appear to become saddened as he finished his question.

"I'm fine Renji." Rukia replied, giving a slight smile to Renji, who just looked at her skeptically.

"I won't lie… at first I was a mess… but then Byakuya came to see me. He told me what I needed to hear and he told me what I needed to do in order to move on." Rukia said.

'_She's hiding something.' _Renji thought, having known Rukia for many, many years.

'_Better I not push it for the time being.' _Renji thought, making a mental note to ask his captain what he told Rukia that got her over Ichigo's death so quickly.

"Have you been training all morning?" Renji asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Yes I have, due to the head captain's orders all of those participating in the winter war are supposed to drop their duties to train. I am no exception to this decree." Rukia replied. In all honesty, Renji believed that this was a good thing, training may have taken her mind off of other things.

"Alright… well it was good to see you Rukia, but my time is almost up and I should probably get going." Renji said reluctantly.

"Be safe in the world of the living Renji, wouldn't want another one of my friends to die on me." Rukia joked, making an attempt to reassure Renji that she was fine.

"Yeah… I'll be safe, Rukia." Renji replied as he released a dry laugh before walking away.

'_She tried too hard to seem fine… there is no way she is telling me everything.' _Renji thought as he walked away.

_**Soul Society: Squad 1 Meeting Room**_

"So… what do you think?" Matsumoto asked with a smile after she presented her idea to the head captain.

"This idea of yours does hold some potential… therefore I shall approve it." Yamamoto said, causing Matsumoto to fist pump in triumph.

"Thank you head captain, this is just what everyone needs." Rangiku chirped, ecstatic that her idea was approved.

"I shall bring this topic up for discussion in the near future. First I must work out the logistics and once that is done we will proceed. You are dismissed." Yamamoto stated.

'_Oh this is going to be just what everyone needs.' _Matsumoto thought happily as she walked out of the squad one meeting room.

_**Las Noches: Chambers of the Hogyoku**_

"You seem awfully quiet Gin." Aizen commented, noticing that the foxlike captain had been standing in silence for the past ten minutes.

"Little old me?" Gin asked, raising his hand and motioning to himself.

"You must have something to say." Aizen mused, causing Gin's smile to widen noticeably.

"I may have just one or two things on my mind Lord Aizen." Gin replied, causing Aizen to raise a brow out of curiosity.

"Spit it out Gin." Aizen ordered in a calm voice.

"I'm curious as to what you plan to do if Ichigo Kurosaki decides to turn on you." Gin replied, causing Aizen to take a deep breath at his comment.

'_Not this again.' _Aizen thought out of annoyance.

"He is clearly stronger than you or I, and all of the other arrancar in Las Noches. So you can understand my curiosity." Gin said.

"True as that may be, I need only hold up my end of the bargain, once that is done he will be trapped in my servitude as I had originally intended." Aizen replied, practically repeating himself from the previous day.

"You seem quite confident that when his personality returns that would be a good thing for you, but I still don't see it. When he remembers you and his pervious memories do you really expect him to remain loyal?" Gin asked seriously.

"He will remain here because it is where he will be able to save those he cares about. He does not share any love for the Soul Society, and clearly he follows them on a temporary basis. What you fail to realize, is that Ichigo Kurosaki only fights with them because there are many people that serve the Thirteen Court Guard Squads whom he sees as friends. Despite the many things I have done to him in order to assure his cooperation, he will eventually see that through his service to me, he will be able to protect everything he holds dear. In the long run, I don't care who has to be spared, as long as I achieve what I have wanted, I don't care." Aizen stated.

"If you are wrong?" Gin asked, still holding a serious expression on his face.

"If that does not work he will do so for the sake of his loved ones' safety." Aizen replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Gin who grasped that a threat would likely work if properly delivered.

"Besides…" Aizen began, smirking slightly at the prospect of his victory.

"Once the Hogyoku is fully awakened it will not matter if Ichigo is loyal to me or not." Aizen finished, now grinning evilly at the thought of his plan finally coming to fruition.

"Do you have anything else you wish to say, Gin?" Aizen asked as he saw that Gin was still in the room, only his characteristic grin once again graced his features.

"If you are dead set on making him remember, perhaps I have a suggestion that will allow him to regain some of his memories." Gin offered, causing Aizen to give him an incredulous look.

"It involves a trip to the world of the living and a common human experience, perhaps the more exposed he becomes to human activities the faster his personality will return." Gin reasoned, his words holding some truth to them. In all honesty, this idea was just something he had wanted to do for some form of fun on his part, but give the circumstance Aizen might be inclined to agree with his point of view.

"Very well Gin. Tell me your ide…" Aizen said before a stopping midsentence as a figure stumbled into the room, bleeding profusely and barely able to maintain a standing position.

"Gin catch him." Aizen ordered as he saw the figure collapse to the ground. Gin subsequently did as he was told, narrowly catching the wounded Espada before he hit the ground.

"L-L-Lord… Aizen." Zommari whispered weakly before losing consciousnes.

"He looks pretty beat up, Lord Aizen." Gin observed, having noticed the numerous cuts that were on Zommari's body.

He was covered in blood. Deep claw marks were spread throughout his torso, along with several odd spikes protrusions that appeared to be sharp as knives, but clearly something other than a sword.

"Get him to the medical area. Once he awakens I will need to know what happened." Aizen said, looking at Gin, who nodded in response.

Gin immediately used flash step to take Zommari as fast as he could to the medical room due to the severity of his injuries.

'_Those wounds on his body were from no sword… it appears that something has indeed happened in the Menos Forest that warrants my attention.' _Aizen thought as he analyzed what the wounds he had seen on Zommari's impaled body.

**A/N Okay, so next chapter will be up Firday, now here are the explanations and review responses. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo's Release/Powers**: No, the missing thing is not his zanpakuto. In his release, his sword becomes Tensa Zangetsu, but that is mostly just for show. In terms of using Getsuga Tenshou, no he can't. The reason is simple. It is the EXACT SAME THING AS A CERO OSCURAS. It uses the same type of spirit energy, and in actuality the cero version is stronger because it is more concentrated and accurate. As for what is missing, you find out next chapter.

**Aizen's Logic on getting Ichigo to stay**: In case you didn't catch what our resident super villain was saying, his logic is that he will get Ichigo to cooperate by explaining to him that he doesn't care what happens to all of his friends, as long as he gets what he wants, he can basically save whoever the hell he wants. This is what he is planning at least.

**Uryu and Renji**: For Ruki and Orihime, they are simply concerned FRIENDS, nothing more, nothing less.

**Zommari's Injuries**: Okay, so next chapter what happened will be revealed, who attacked him, and who he will be accompanying to the Menos Forest. He isn't dead by the way… yet.

**Gin and Rangku's idea**: I will give you a hint. It's a common human experience, it will likely be funny, but it is a good lead in into the most serious part of the story. Also, it is the same idea, just thought that would be funny.

**Ryuken Comforting Isshin**: This would be a spoiler to anyone who doesn't read the Manga, but that is actually what Masaki says to Ryuken before she goes to help Isshin fight white, who is one of Aizen's experiments (dude does a lot of villain work). I just thought it would be kinda poetic to add that in, but sorry if that was a spoiler to anyone.

**The vizards**: I won't say how that turns out, but I can say that they do have a pretty big role in this story.

**Orihime's Condition**: She will be fine and more motivated in the future, for now she is dealing with a broken heart. I can't, in good conscience, make a character like hers experience something like what she did and just be fine with it, so yeah.

**Gin**: No I am not making it so that he won't betray Aizen, but you won't see the ending coming, trust me.

_**Reviews**_

**awesomeness4286**: Hope I don't, thanks, and completing Ichigo's sword release will be a… thing that is revealed next chapter :)

**Mexican ninja1996**: Maybe… ;)

**Kiwifan7**: Thanks, now you don't have to wait anymore… well not for this one at least.

: Thanks, it will be revealed next chapter ;)

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Thanks, glad to hear it. This chapter is mostly everyone else, but next chapter it shifts to Ichigo and the following events that lead him to remember more and more.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: You would be correct, but since Nel was the former Tercera, I am assuming that her power is greater than Nnoitora's but slightly less than Ulquiorra (Without second release) My view on it is as follows, when Nel regained her adult form for a bit, her release didn't pack as much of a punch in terms of spiritual pressure because of the cracked mask, so that is the new rule and I'm sticking with it.

**McCabeRz**: Thanks, sorry you have to wait till next chapter.

**darkmachines**: Thanks, also I think all Espada can use Gran Rey Cero outside their release, Grimmjow could at least. To be honest, I got mad that none of the Espada other than Grimmjow actually used it… how annoying. Also, next chapter is when he finds out about Rudabonne and the Privaron.

**sami217**:Thanks, also no he doesn't have a Bankai, but his Bankai sword is the one he uses in his release, the black zanpakuto with a chain in that form just makes it look soooo badass. As for the second release, wait till next chapter.

**friaku**: Thanks, glad to hear you liked it!

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Happy to hear you thought it was funny! Also, I agree, Ulquiorra is a badass and I liked him a lot as well. His death annoyed me… greatly… *shaked fist at Tite Kubo*

**hornet07**:Not a fact, just my assumption considering it has to be something about the blood of an Espada, perhaps that it has more Soul Reaper essence than a normal arrancar, which would make sense. Also, IF I DID ;) give him a second release, I would in fact make it look even more terrifying.

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it!

**eragonfan117**: Thanks, sorry for the wait on his next release, but next chapter things pick up so there… xD

**The Night Hunter**: Really surprised to see you reviewing my story considering yours was the story that made me like the pairing IchigoxHalibel in the first place. Glad to see you like the chapter, more IchiHali stuff in the NEAR NEAR future.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, intended that, and Ulquiorra is the Cuarto because he has 2 releases, incomplete feeling will be next chapter.

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**Fire0770**: Nope, his sword in his released is Tensa Zangetsu in appearance but it doesn't give him any powers. His hollow/Bankai powers filtered into his arrancar powers, which is why he is so fast and why his Cero Oscuras is so damn strong. Sorry if I made that confusing xD

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, also what he was 'missing' will be revealed next chapter.

**BleachFan21**: Glad to hear you liked the chapter, you will be aware of weather you were right or not next chapter, and yes his release is Zangetsu because his hollow was his zanpkauto but he still doesn't know that yet.

**Shawn2012**: Nope, Cero Oscuras takes its place but they are the exact same thing.

**Sderrick68**: Maybe… I will say that those aren't the ONLY three cero that he will be able to fire and his spiritual makeup will have something to do with a new creation of mine, though Ichigo won't know why it's so damn strong until the sequel, which if I do it will be the vandereich thing.

**Dp11**: Yup, as for the next part cant(wont) say… ^^


	23. Rebellion! Rise of the Vasto Lordes

**A/N Here is chapter 23 as I promised, not much else to say. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 23 **

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

'_Why Lord Aizen designed this place so intricately I will never know.' _Ichigo thought as he stared out of his balcony into the fake desert below.

What had gotten him so confused was the fact that there seemed to be some form of artificial sunlight that illuminated the faux desert, but at the moment more pressing matter plagued his thoughts.

"This thing is still a mystery to me…" Ichigo trailed off as he stared down at the pocket watch that had a picture of a woman he assumed he knew.

'_When I released my sword… I felt a surge of emotions… as if my memories temporarily became restored.' _Ichigo thought as he remembered the feeling he had when he used his, so-called, full power.

'_At the same time though, I felt as if my power was not at its fullest… and when I released I thought back to this picture. Is it possible that my not knowing who this woman is affected my ability to access my full power?' _Ichigo wondered as he continued to stare at the picture.

"At first I wasn't sure of what I felt when I stared at this picture… but now I am aware of exactly what those feelings are." Ichigo said absentmindedly as he began to frown.

'_I feel… saddened when I look at this picture. I feel fear, lose, pain, anguish… and yet I feel something else from this picture… acceptance? This mixture of emotions is just too damn confusing.' _Ichigo thought as he closed his eyes.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, not expecting an answer.

All of a sudden a jolt of pain surged through Ichigo's head before Ichigo found himself faced with the memories of the mysterious woman he had seen in the watch.

_**Memory Flash **_

Ichigo stood once more in the center of a seemingly endless number of moving screens each portraying a memory of what was unmistakably the woman he had seen in the picture.

Memories of Karate classes, meals, games, time spent with family, all of these things flashed before his very eyes.

"Is that me?" Ichigo wondered as he saw a constant theme of a small child who looked like him with the exception of his hollow mask.

"Perhaps if I recede my mask…" Ichigo mused as he began to discard his arrancar mask to reveal his entire face.

Ichigo stared at his reflection in the screens that portrayed his memories and came to the realization that he was the child in these images.

"I-I'm an arrancar, aren't I? How is this possible?" Ichigo wondered as he once again willed his mask to return to his appearance.

"That boy is clearly human, as is this woman… but still, who is she?" Ichigo asked aloud as he continued to stare at the many screens.

"_Do you like the sunsets Ichigo?_" The woman asked with a smile present on her features, even as she looked down to see the orange-haired boy crying for some unknown reason.

"_Ichigo, there's no need to cry, you're a big boy now after all." _The woman stated as she whipped tears away from his eyes, her gesture clearly laced with affection.

"_I know._" The child replied sheepishly.

Ichigo observed each and every image he possibly could until his eyes rested on one particular memory.

The boy stared off onto the beach at the form of a girl that appeared to be standing near the tides. The boy called out to it and ran towards the girl believing she was in some kind of danger.

The woman from the picture ran towards Ichigo as fast as she could in an attempt to stop him… but she was too late. The next image was the deepest darkest memory Ichigo had recalled thus far. The form of a sickening hollow passed through his mind, a lure like appendage above his hideous hollow mask, a taunting laugh of arrogance that was all too familiar to him. As the form faded the final image in the memory came to light.

His bones chilled to his core as he stared at the image of the woman in the picture lying on the ground with blood covering her as he saw himself, a child, crying over her like a lost lamb.

"_Mommy!" _A little boy with orange hair cried over the form of a lifeless corpse as the rain fell on him.

"Mommy?" Ichigo exclaimed as he now knew who this woman was.

"Her name… I remember…" Ichigo said as he began to remember his family.

"Dad… Karin… Yuzu…" Ichigo said absentmindedly as he remembered his human family.

"Masaki… Masaki Kuroskai." Ichigo whispered sadly as he recalled the day his mother had left him once and for all.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

A lone tear made its way out of Ichigo's right eye as he looked down at what he now knew was a picture of his deceased mother.

"Not a pleasant memory." Ichigo said dryly as he shut the locket and placed it back on his bedspread.

"Lord Aizen was lying when he said he didn't know who she was." Ichigo realized as he once again walked out onto the balcony.

"Although I suppose it could have been out of concern… if I were to be told of such a terrible memory so soon after getting amnesia the results would most likely have been me destroying everything I could get my hands on." Ichigo mused, deciding not to dwell on the issue until he talked to Aizen once more.

Ichigo stood out on the balcony for several minutes before going back and thinking on when he used his Resurreción.

'_It was after all the first time I can remember using Resurreción… perhaps now that I have confirmed those feelings I may feel different when I use it.' _Ichigo thought, becoming bothered that he couldn't forget about the feeling he had when he entered his true form.

"Lord Aizen said that I was not allowed to release under the dome…" Ichigo trailed off as he shifted his gaze to the skies that formed the roof of the colossal palace.

'_Hopefully this won't backfire on me…' _Ichigo thought as he began to fly to the roof of Las Noches.

Upon reaching the celling, with one slash of his sword Ichigo tore open a small slit in the dome in order to enter the canapé of Las Noches.

Ichigo landed on the roof and held his sword out horizontally. Ichigo began releasing massive amounts of spiritual pressure as once more placed his hand on the flat side of his blade.

'_I should probably tone down the amount I release if I don't want to accidentally blow the roof off of Las Noches.' _Ichigo thought as he tried to control the pattern of his dark crimson spiritual energy.

"Pierce the Heart, Zangetsu." Ichigo uttered as he ran his hand across the flat side of his blade.

Upon the release command being said, an ocean of dark crimson spiritual pressure outstretched across the roof of Las Noches. The entire top of the gigantic fortress was nearly covered from side to side due to the immense amount that was exuded.

'_Thankfully no explosion this time.' _Ichigo thought as he released a sigh of relief.

"What is it I am missing?" Ichigo wondered aloud as he simply stared down at his black sword.

"This feeling… it's stronger than before… I now know there is more to my power… but what is it?" Ichigo said before closing his eyes and thrusting his sword into the dome of Las Noches so as to keep it upright.

'_Perhaps it is that this is not my true form… or I have so much spiritual energy it was sealed two times over.' _Ichigo thought as he searched for the image of what his true power looked like.

'_I… I can see it… my true form.' _Ichigo thought before crimson spiritual energy began to exude from his body.

The color of the spiritual energy shifted from dark crimson to black with red outlining a moment later. The energy was not as violent as his first release but the feel was on a whole new level of power. The energy encased Ichigo's body, bringing him into his true form and the ultimate power he had obtained in his transformation.

"Resurreción, Segunda Etapa." Ichigo uttered absentmindedly as the spiritual energy ceased to exude from his body.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room **_

"Why would he want you, cow?!" Apacci taunted as she butted heads with Mila Rose.

"Because I'm desirable… unlike some people." Mila Rose retorted before entering a growling contest with Apacci.

"Given how immature both of you are, I'd say I have a better chance with him than either of you." Sung-Sun commented, bringing the two out of their growling match.

"What was that Sung-Sun?!" Apacci and Mila Rose exclaimed simultaneously.

"What are you three arguing about now?" Halibel questioned in a calm tone.

"Lady Halibel, would you care to settle this little dispute between us?" Sung-Sun asked, causing Halibel to become slightly confused, though the other two fraccion immediately understood what she was referring to.

"How may I be able to do that?" Halibel inquired, not getting where this was going.

"Who among the three of us do you believe to be the best match with for our new Primera, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Sung-Sun asked, causing Halibel's eyes to widen slightly at the question.

'_What?' _Halibel thought in disbelief, not sure if more surprised that she was asked the question or the fact that the three were fighting over Ichigo.

"Why would you ask her that Sung-Sun?" Apacci roared as Mila Rose just stared at Sung-Sun with a blank expression on her face.

"Is this not a good way to settle the dispute, ask an unbiased third party… or in this case, fourth?" Sung-Sun retorted, shutting Apacci up.

"Good point… so who do you think he would like more out of the three of us Lady Halibel?" Apacci asked, noting that Halibel had not said a thing since being asked the question.

'_Why do I not want to answer that question?' _Halibel wondered before a spike of spiritual pressure brought her out of her confusion and subsequently saver her from answering the question.

"What's happening?" Apacci exclaimed as she nearly buckled under the sudden pressure.

"It feels like it's coming from atop the dome of Las Noches." Sung-Sun observed, herself struggling to keep her calm under the pressure.

"This spiritual pressure is without a doubt Ichigo's." Halibel mused as she walked over to her balcony and stared at the roof of Las Noches.

"But why would he…" Sung-Sun began before sensing an even greater increase in spiritual pressure coming from atop the dome.

'_What is this spiritual pressure?' _The four thought similarly as they felt the spiritual energy atop the roof intensify in power and become more potent.

"Lady Halibel…" Apacci whispered weakly as she along with her fellow fraccion fell to the floor.

Halibel released as much of her own spiritual energy as she could to create a breathable environment for the three before the spiritual energy stop exuding from above the dome.

"How… how can something be that powerful?" Apacci exclaimed as she stood from the ground, now being able to stand due to the energy from the dome letting up.

'_Ichigo Kurosaki… without a doubt, you are an interesting one.' _Halibel thought as she went back to staring at the dome. A moment later, she felt Ichigo's spiritual signature enter Las Noches once more, which could only mean one thing.

"I'm going to go to Ichigo's room in order to ask him what that was." Halibel stated as she began to leave her room.

"No you may not come." Halibel added before exiting the room, causing her fraccion to pout slightly.

"How come she gets to see Ichigo?" Apacci whined as she sat down on the foot of the bed.

"Maybe she has a crush." Mila Rose joked.

Both Mila Rose and Apacci started to laugh uncontrollably as Sung-Sun just stood in the room with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What's up Sung-Sun?" Apacci asked as she whipped a tear from her eye and clenched her stomach due to laughing so hard.

"I don't think that's far from the truth of it." Sung-Sun replied, causing Apacci and Mila Rose to comically widen their eyes in surprise.

"W-What?" Apacci exclaimed in a quiet voice.

"Think about it… she seemed surprised when I told her we were fighting over who gets Ichigo, she seemed to hesitate in answering our question, and not to mention that look in her eyes whenever she sees him." Sung-Sun replied.

"Look?" Mila Rose questioned, confused as to what Sung-Sun was referring to.

"She looks at every other male arrancar with the same emotionless look of disdain with the exception of Starrk who is quite nice, but extremely lazy. When she looks at Ichigo… I can see just a small touch of emotion enter her eyes. I noticed this when the new Espada were selected but I thought nothing of it until now." Sung-Sun explained.

"Come to think of it, she has said more words to Ichigo than she has to anyone other than us combined." Mila Rose said, giving serious thought to Sung-Sun's words.

"So… she actually likes a guy?" Apacci asked in disbelief, believing her master to be the most powerful, independent woman she had ever seen.

"I don't really know." Sung-Sun admitted.

"I'm not entirely sure if she is aware that she appears to have more emotions around him… but just to be safe I would suggest that none of us pursue Ichigo for the time being." Sung-Sun stated, eliciting huffs of annoyance from Mila Rose and Apacci.

"If there is even the slightest possibility that Lady Halibel has found someone who has captured her interest, do you not think it appropriate that the three of us allow her to pursue happiness?" Sung-Sun questioned, slightly agitated at the selfishness her fellow fraccion were exhibiting.

"You're right." Apacci and Mila Rose replied simultaneously in a disappointed tone.

_**Las Noches: Nelliel's Room **_

"So what happened after that Lady Nelliel?" Dondochakka questioned eager to see what happened when Ichigo remembered who she was.

"Well…" Nel trailed off, rubbing the back of her head in mild embarrassment.

"Yes?" Pesche asked, being equally as eager to hear the story as Dondochakka.

"I… I was… I was about to kiss him…" Nel said before being cut off.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww." Pesche and Dondochakka cooed in unison, causing Nel to blush slightly.

"But before I could, Halibel came in and we broke apart." Nel finished, causing Pesche and Dondochakka to face fault.

'_I was so close too.' _Nel thought disappointedly as she released a sigh of slight frustration.

"Has she never heard of privacy?" Pesche exclaimed, having been rooting for his master and Ichigo since his becoming an arrancar.

"Be nice Pesche, Halibel is one of the few Espada that actually cares for her fraccion like me." Nel stated, causing Pesche to rub the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Lady Nelliel, it may be none of my business but I feel compelled to ask this. What is Ichigo to you?" Dondochakka asked, believing that he knew the answer.

"Well…" Nel said before a spike of spiritual pressure from atop Las Noches cut her off.

"Ichigo?" Nel exclaimed as she rushed over to her balcony and looked at the dome.

A moment passed before the spiritual pressure above the dome seemed to intensify, causing Nel to sweat slightly as she felt the power pull her towards it.

"His spiritual energy his changing… its somehow becoming more powerful." Nel said as she continued to stare at the dome.

"How is that possible Lady Nelliel?" Pesche asked. A moment later the spiritual energy subsided and Ichigo's presence could be felt within Las Noches once again.

"I don't know… but I intend to find out." Nel said as she began to walk towards her door.

"Where are you going?" Pesche asked as Nel made for the door.

"I'm going to Ichigo's room to see what he was up to." Nel replied.

"Don't do anything we wouldn't approve of young lady." Dondochakka said, pointing an accusing finger at Nel, who now had a deep crimson blush on her face due to the implications of Dondochakka's words.

_**Las Noches: Ulquiorra's Room **_

"His spiritual pressure is indeed great… but the fact that he has released once more is intriguing." Ulquiorra thought aloud as he sensed Ichigo's spiritual pressure from atop the dome of Las Noches.

"What?" Ulquiorra exclaimed as his eyes widened in shock. Ichigo's spiritual pressure began to noticeably change and intensify over the course of several seconds after his initial release.

Ulquiorra knew exactly what this had meant and what the only explanation for this was. To say he was surprised would be an understatement, but he had learnt that with Ichigo the unexpected often occurred.

"It appears that I am no longer the only one." Ulquiorra mused, allowing himself a slight smile before using sonido to visit the only other arrancar that had achieved the same form as he.

_**Las Noches: Outside Ichigo's Room **_

"I assume you felt it as well Nelliel?" Halibel asked as she saw Nel coming down the hallway.

"Yes I did, but what was that?" Nel questioned seriosuly.

No sooner than the words left her mouth did Ulquiorra appear in the hallway via sonido with a slight smile on his face, something that confused both Halibel and Nel greatly. Though it was nearly unnoticeable, for him to show anything other than impassivity was incredibly rare.

"Are you smiling?" Halibel asked, more curious as to why Ulquiorra appeared to be pleased than why he was at Ichigo's door.

"If you must know, indeed I am." Ulquiorra replied in his usual emotionless tone.

"Why are you here?" Nel inquired as the green eyed Espada walked towards the door.

"I sensed his spiritual pressure as well… although my reason for coming here is likely different than yours." Ulquiorra replied as he knocked on Ichigo's door.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"That was something else." Ichigo said as he landed on his balcony.

No sooner than Ichigo had landed he heard a knock on his door and half expected all of the arrancar in Las Noches to be on the other side due to his change in spiritual pressure.

"You can come in." Ichigo replied, causing the door to open. Ulquiorra stood in front with Nelliel and Halibel on his sides, each entering at Ichigo's confirmation to do so.

'_Several well developed women in my room alongside a seemingly emotionless guy… this feels familiar to me.' _Ichigo thought as the group walked into the room.

"Ichigo, what was that?" Halibel asked, being the first to speak.

"I… I ummmmm." Ichigo said before being cut off.

"I am sure that he will tell us what it was in due time. Isn't that right Ichigo?" Ulquiorra asked with a knowing grin, something that confused both women present even further.

Ulquiorra was many things, but above all else he would respect the right of another arrancar to keep the second release a secret. The only catch was that, up until now, he had been the only arrancar to ever achieve it.

"Yes… for the time being I will not show you what I was doing, but rest assured I will reveal it in due time." Ichigo stated much to Halibel and Nelliel's disappointment.

"Ichigo… you will tell me what you were doing now." Nel stated, giving Ichigo an ominous glare, making Ichigo gulp.

"I am sorry to interrupt…" A calm voice came from the door, directing the attention of the arrancar to its source.

"Zommari has returned and Lord Aizen has requested a meeting to discuss what his mission revealed." Tosen stated before using flash step to leave the room in order to gather the rest of the Espada.

No sooner that Tosen said this Halibel left the room, followed quickly by Nelliel and Ulquiorra.

'_Saved by the bell… or in this case, blind man.' _Ichigo thought before using sonido to head for the meeting room.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Room**_

"Lord Aizen." Ichigo greeted as he entered the throne room.

"Ichigo, you're hear rather quickly." Aizen commented before taking another sip of his tea.

"Lord Aizen… I have something to ask you." Ichigo said, confusing Aizen slightly with how deadly serious his tone was.

"Oh, and what does this pertain to?" Aizen inquired, though he had an inkling.

"Masaki Kurosaki… my mother and the woman in that picture I showed you." Ichigo replied, causing Aizen to frown sadly at his words.

'_It is better he found out on his own.' _Aizen thought as he placed his cup of tea on the meeting room table.

"Before you ask anything on this topic, I have a mission for you that is incredibly important. All will be explained to you once you have finished." Aizen stated, causing Ichigo to nod in submission.

Ichigo may have wanted to call Aizen out, but if Aizen said something was important, he just had a feeling that it damn well was, especially given the fact that the meeting was called so abruptly.

"Very well, Lord Aizen." Ichigo replied, though inwardly he was hesitant on allowing himself to wait.

Moments later Halibel appeared by Ichigo's side, somewhat surprised that Ichigo had bested her speed.

"I left before you, how is it you arrived before me?" Halibel asked, somewhat surprised that Ichigo was faster than her when she had a bit of a head start.

"I used sonido just the same as you, but do not be upset by that, my sonido is most likely the fastest amongst the Espada." Ichigo replied before sitting down next to Aizen. Halibel took the seat immediately to Ichigo's right, just before Nelliel and Ulquiorra arrived and took the two seats across from Ichigo and Halibel.

One by one the members of the Espada and the select few that were deemed necessary to Aizen's army arrived and took their seats at the meeting table, which had been extended due to the number of people that were now expected to attend meetings.

"Now that everyone is settled, it is rather important that you pay attention to what it is I have to say." Aizen began in a serious tone, instantly making everyone in the room go silent and give him their undivided attention.

"As you all know, I had sent Zommari into the Menos Forest in order to investigate a serious of anomalies that had occurred after the elimination of the guardian." Aizen said, recapping what everyone had already known.

"I still don't remember doing that." Ichigo mumbled incoherently as he noticed that Barragan was giving him a distasteful glare.

"Zommari has returned and has recently recovered from being in critical condition." Aizen continued, causing several of the Espada to widen their eyes in shock.

"After his condition was stabilized, he awoke and gave me his report. Firstly, it appears that an unprecedented crisis has erupted in the Menos Forest. A group of powerful Vasto Lordes are uniting in an attempt to overthrow me and destroy Las Noches. Whatever their motivation, they were strong enough to defeat Zommari before he could even release his blade." Aizen stated. The meeting room was dead silent as Aizen informed the arrancar of the situation.

"From Zommari's report, I am aware that there are at least six Vasto Lordes in this rebellion and they have seized control of the Menos Forest. Due to the extreme circumstances I will be sending Primera Espada Ichigo Kurosaki and Tercera Espada Tia Halibel into the Menos Forest to crush this rebellion." Aizen declared, eliciting a nod of understanding from both Ichigo and Halibel.

"Zommari has already been briefed and will be accompanying you as a guide so that you may find the Vasto Lordes more easily and subsequently stamp them out. Since Starrk has the highest combat abilities without using his release, outside of Ichigo, his power will be needed to secure our fortress and all arrancar are to remain on high alert, this includes the Exequias and the Privaron Espada." Aizen continued.

"Who?" Ichigo asked, making Aizen realize he had yet to inform Ichigo of two select groups of arrancar.

"The Privaron Espada are Espada that were replaced when more powerful arrancar were born. They can be identified by their three digit numbers and are the best fighters in Las Noches outside of the top of the numerous and the Espada. The Exequias are essentially one person with the ability to create legions of, more or less, competent foot soldiers. His name is simply Rudbornn." Aizen explained, eliciting a nod of understanding from Ichigo.

"When do we leave Lord Aizen?" Ichigo asked.

"Before you leave meet me in Szayel's laboratory, he has several items that will prove to be useful for your assignment, and if my suspicion is correct you will indeed need them." Aizen replied cryptically.

"The rest of you are to stay on high alert, should these Vasto Lordes be lying in wait I would prefer that you be prepared." Aizen ordered, causing Starrk to groan.

'_Dammit… I was looking forward to some peace and quiet after yesterday too.' _Starrk though lazily.

"This meeting is adjourned… now if you two will follow me." Aizen said before walking out of the doors to the meeting room, followed closely by Ichigo and Halibel.

_**Las Noches: Szayel's Laboratory (Some Time Later)**_

"Here we are." Aizen said as the three arrived at Szayel's pride and joy.

"This place is… interesting." Ichigo commented as he began to look around the room.

"That's one way of putting it." Halibel stated, having some contempt for the experiments that Szayel was fond of.

Aizen walked up to a table that was situated near a computer-like machine at the far end of the lab.

Aizen grabbed two large, white blanket-like objects that were placed on the table and held them up to the Espada.

"Blankets?" Ichigo asked confusedly as Halibel maintained her calm demeanor despite her confusion.

"These 'blankets' as you call them…" A voice said from behind Ichigo and Halibel.

"…are designed to shield your spiritual pressure from being sensed by the Vasto Lordes. In case your mission lasts more than a day, you will need to sleep, and these are to make sure you aren't killed because they can sense your spiritual pressure." Szayel explained as he walked up and grabbed the two objects. He then proceeded to place each in a respective bag and handed one to each of the Espada.

"Be careful not to lose them otherwise sleep won't be so comfortable." Szayel joked with a knowing grin, earning a death glare from Halibel.

"Ehem… If you're done Szayel, perhaps you two can get going?" Aizen asked.

"Will Zommari be meeting us at the gates?" Halibel asked.

"Yes, he has already been given the item I have just given to you and is ready to depart. I would ask that you not allow him to engage in combat, he is still not in the greatest of conditions." Aizen answered.

Ichigo and Halibel immediately used sonido to head for the gates of Las Noches in order to head towards the Menos Forest and begin their mission.

_**World of the Living: Vizard's Hideout**_

'_This isn't going to be something I will enjoy.' _Urahara thought as he approached the barrier to the vizard's hideout.

"Well hopeful they won't attack me." Urahara said as he tore a hole through the barrier and entered the area around the warehouse.

"Shut up dumbass!" A girl roared from inside the warehouse.

Immediately after this was said, multiple cries of pain could be heard alongside the familiar sound of a sandal connecting with parts of the human body.

'_Some things never change.' _Urahara thought amusedly as he recognized what was happening.

"Anyone home?!" Urahara shouted as he entered the warehouse to see the vizard's seemingly waiting for something, or rather someone.

"Took you long enough Kisuke…" Shinji griped as he got up from his beating.

"Wait a sec… where's Ichigo?" Shinji questioned in an annoyed tone.

"Actually that's what I'm here to talk about." Urahara said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

'_How to let them know gently…' _Urahara wondered before Hiyori's rage broke him out of his thought.

"You dumbass! You Hat N' Clogs wearing moron! I'm tired of waiting just give us the kid already!" Hiyori screamed, practically shattering Shinji's eardrums with how loud her voice was.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Urahara replied in a serious tone as he frowned noticeably.

His reaction caused each and every vizard to become confused having realized that Urahara was being uncharacteristically serious and each of them knew that when that happened, it was a sign that everyone else should adopt the same mindset.

"If you came here to fight us for the kid you should've brought Yoruichi." Shinji joked, causing Urahara to shake his head.

"Yoruichi is a bit sensitive on the topic of Ichigo at the moment so I opted not to bring her." Urahara replied cryptically, confusing the vizards even further.

"What do you mean 'on the topic of Ichigo'?" Kensei asked.

"Ichigo Kurosaki… is dead." Urahara said seriously causing many of the vizards to gasp in surprise.

"What the hell did you do Kisuke?!" Shinji yelled, becoming furious that a potential comrade had been eliminated.

"I didn't do anything… but Sosuke Aizen on the other hand…" Urahara trailed off, having gotten the point across.

"Ichigo may not be dead, but the least we know is that the pulse on his human body is gone, and even if he is alive, Aizen has him as a captive in Hueco Mundo." Urahara added.

"Sosuke Aizen…" Shinji spat, having already had enough of a reason to hate the man.

"I'll inform you of how it happened later, but for now I have an offer for you." Urahara began, pulling the vizards out of their daze of shock.

'_I have a feeling I know what this is about.' _Shinji thought as he noticed how serious Urahara was at the moment.

"Head Captain Yamamoto has allowed me to extend an offer to form an alliance to all of you." Urahara said, causing many of the vizards to scowl.

"After all those bastards did, you really expect that we'll…" Kensei began before being cut off.

"I understand that this is asking a lot of you… but know that you will be granted a full pardon and you will not be required to answer to the Soul Society. You will only be called upon to fight Aizen when the time comes and occasionally attend a meeting or two in the Soul Society." Urahara explained, trying to reason with the stubborn ex-Soul Reapers.

"It won't be that east to forgive and forget Urahara." Hiyori snarled, obviously displeased with the prospect of fighting alongside Soul Reapers.

"I understand… it's just an offer and now that it's on the table I'll be on my way." Urahara said.

"Wait Kisuke, you…" Shinji said before Urahara vanished via flash step.

'_How annoying…' _Shinji thought frustratingly.

"Can you believe that guy? Thinking we'd fight alongside Soul Reapers." Hiyori scoffed, only becoming confused as he saw a thoughtful look on Shinji's face.

Each of the vizards took note of Shinji's expression and prepared for the never ending screaming math that would follow his opinion being voiced.

"I think…" Shinji began as he turned to face his comrades.

"I think that if we even have a shot at bringing down Aizen… this is worth the discussion." Shinji said, causing Hiyori to glare at him.

"I know none of you have any love for the Soul Society, but none of you have any love for Sosuke Aizen either. Now all we need to do is decide if we all hate Aizen enough to fight with the Soul Society, even if it's only temporary." Shinji said.

"You dumbass!" Hiyori roared as she charged Shinji with her sandal.

Shinji uncharacteristically grabbed Hiyori's hand and looked at her with a deadly serious expression.

"One of our own kind is likely dead now Hiyori… if we didn't have enough of a reason to hate Aizen before we certainty do now." Shinji stated, eliciting many nods of understanding from his fellow vizards. Those that were like the vizards were considered family, no matter who they are, or whether they themselves chose to accept them. If you were one of the few, you had their support.

"So you really think we should do it Shinji?" Hachi asked, voicing the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Yes… in the long run it's the lesser of two evils." Shinji replied in a deadly serious tone.

"I for one agree with you Shinji." Hachi said.

"I." Lisa said.

"Me too." Mashiro chirped.

"I guess me." Hiyori said through gritted teeth.

"I suppose it would be fitting." Rose stated.

"I guess I will too." Love said, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Dammit, fine, I'm in." Kensei grumbled, reluctantly agreeing to fight alongside the Soul Reapers.

_**Entrance to the Menos Forest**_

"This place is even more depressing that the desert above it." Ichigo commented as he an Halibel made their way into the Menos Forest.

"Hollows are born here, what did you expect?" Halibel asked.

"Fair point." Ichigo replied as he looked around the forest to see what their surroundings were like.

"Zommari, you're the Novena Espada, correct?" Ichigo abruptly asked.

Zommari just nodded in response to his query as the three began to walk around the Menos Forest searching for spiritual signatures.

"Not much of a talker? Doesn't matter, I want to ask how many Vasto Lordes you actually fought when you were down here." Ichigo stated, confusing Halibel, who decided to speak before Zommari had the chance.

"Why do you ask?" Halibel inquired, curious as to why Ichigo asked such a question.

"I ask because my fear is that Zommari was not attacked by multiple Vasto Lorde class hollows." Ichigo replied.

"Care to explain your reasoning?" Halibel asked as the two continued to walk behind the stoic Espada, who hadn't replied due to Halibel interjecting.

"Vasto Lorde class hollows are few and far between, even I am aware of this. It would take an extremely powerful hollow to get any help from other Vasto Lordes." Ichigo began.

"My presumption is that Zommari was indeed surrounded by multiple Vasto Lordes but was only wounded by one, who used the battle as a demonstration likely to further prove his strength." Ichigo answered, causing Halibel to stare at his strangely at his display of inelegance.

"Something the matter?" Ichigo asked, having noticed how Halibel was staring at him.

"N-nothing." Halibel replied before she immediately returned her vision to the path in front of them with a slight blush coming to her cheeks.

'_Why does he make me feel this way?' _Halibel wondered as she continued to walk.

"You are correct Ichigo, I was attacked by only one, but the fight was over within seconds after he arrived. Many kept me at bay and he struck fast from the shadows, so quickly that I have no idea what he looks like." Zommari said, giving Ichigo the answer to his previous question.

The group continued to walk for some time, until the silence was broken in the form of a question.

"Halibel, may I ask you something?" Ichigo asked, becoming increasingly bored as the two continued to walk.

"You just did." Halibel quipped, causing Ichigo to chuckle slightly.

'_Never took her for the joking type.' _Ichigo thought as he shook his head in amusement.

"Cute… but that doesn't answer my question." Ichigo retorted.

"You may ask your question." Halibel stated.

"Something surprises me about how you treat your fraccion…" Ichigo trailed off.

"I always treat my fraccion with respect." Halibel defended, believing that what Ichigo said had negative implications.

"That's just it… you treat them very well and they respect you a lot." Ichigo reassured.

"The only others that treat them well are Starrk, but from what I was told Lilynette is a part of him, and Nel, but I know her story and why she cherishes her fraccion. So my question is what causes you to treat your fraccion with compassion?" Ichigo asked, slightly surprising Halibel.

'_Hopefully that didn't upset her.' _Ichigo thought as a moment of silence passed between the two. At this point he didn't even count Zommari in the pool of people that were capable of speaking. It wasn't that Ichigo believed he was rude, just very… stoic, something that rang a bell in his head, though he didn't understand why.

"Sorry I asked the question, just curious is all." Ichigo apologized, believing that he had overstepped his bounds.

"N-No it's quite alright… I've just never been asked that question before." Halibel admitted.

"That story goes back to when I myself was a Vasto Lorde." Halibel said.

"You make yourself seem so old for one who appears so young and beautiful." Ichigo joked. Zommari just released a quiet chuckle at this, but the other member of their group had a different response.

Halibel didn't quite know whether to blush at the young and beautiful comment or glare at Ichigo for his joke. She settled on a mixture of both and glared at Ichigo whilst her cheeks turned a light shade of red, though it was hidden under her collar.

"All kidding aside, I would like to know your story." Ichigo said, causing Halibel to cease her intense glare at Ichigo.

"Very well, but I believe we should keep moving." Halibel stated, getting a nod of agreement from Ichigo and Zommari as the group continued to walk.

"As you are most likely aware, most female hollows are weaker than male hollows…" Halibel began.

"I was an anomaly in that I was able to achieve the level of a Vasto Lordes class hollow relatively quickly without being eliminated by another hollow. I saw what many male hollows did to the females, most were subjugated and used as cannon fodder for the stronger hollows to consume even stronger pray. However, once I became a Vasto Lorde, I decided that I would protect those few female hollows I could find." Halibel said before being cut off.

"So that is how you met your three fraccion?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, Sung-Sun was the first I found, she was being attacked by several hollows that were slightly below adjuchas class. She may perhaps be the most intelligent of my fraccion, but her skills in fighting are equal to that of the other two. Next, I recued Mila Rose from a powerful adjucha who had sought her out because she was a female. She fought with all her might and nearly defeated the hollow, but in the end had I not stepped in she may not be alive today. Lastly, I rescued Apacci from another adjuchas class hollow, the three of them followed me and together we defeated any hollow that sought to subjugate us." Halibel replied.

"That explains why they are fiercely loyal to you… in all honesty had I not participated in their little bet I would have likely witnessed the three of them fighting Barragan's fraccion over their insults." Ichigo stated, chuckling slightly at how the three had injured the pride of six other arrancar.

"You have my thanks for that." Halibel abruptly said, causing Ichigo to give her an incredulous look.

"My fraccion are my life and… despite what they would say, I believe that all six of Barragan's fraccion would have defeated them even if they chose to use their full power." Halibel added.

"D-Don't mention it." Ichigo replied.

"May I ask you a question?" Halibel asked.

"You just did." Ichigo quipped, borrowing a line from Halibel.

Halibel turned to Ichigo and shot him a death glare out of annoyance, not happy that her own "joke" was just used against her.

"Wow, if I close my eyes I can still feel you glaring at me." Ichigo joked, causing Halibel to chuckle slightly.

"You may ask your question Halibel." Ichigo said in all seriousness.

"Have you yourself considered taking up any members for a fraccion?" Halibel asked, wanting to know if he could recall what had happened.

'_That's a really good question.' _Ichigo thought, not having an exact answer for her.

"I… I'm not entirely sure." Ichigo began as he tapped his chin in thought.

"I would welcome the concept of a comrade that I view to be closer to myself than other arrancar. However I will likely have many responsibilities in the war to come, and the thought of losing a fraccion is devastating to me." Ichigo said honestly.

Ichigo abruptly stopped in his tracks as did Halibel and Zommari, each having felt several signatures of spiritual energy in the surrounding area.

"Several adjuchas class hollows lead by a Vasto Lorde class hollow. They seem to be heading this way." Ichigo stated.

"I feel it as well." Halibel replied.

"As do I." Zommari piped in.

"Well, well, what do we have here boys?" A Vasto Lorde asked rhetorically as he alongside six strong adjuchas came out of the forest to face the two Espada.

The Vasto Lordes class hollow was tall and somewhat inhuman looking. It had pale gray skin, sharp claws on both his hands and feet, and no visible hollow hole as was characteristic of a hollow in its class. His body had plated armor on his hips that covered from his upper legs down to his knees. His hollow mask took the shape of a horned helmet that was atop his head.

The hollow's teeth were sharp, and a series of lengthy spikes protruded from his back. Although he was clearly a powerful hollow, as far as Vasto Lorde go, he was clearly on the weaker end of the spectrum given his closer resemblance to a powerful adjucha.

"Looks like food boss." A hyena like adjucha replied, giving off a sickening grin as he stood on the ground on all fours.

"That blonde one is mine." A porcupine like adjucha stated as spikes that resembled quills came out from his back. At this comment Halibel immediately glared at the overconfident hollow before speaking.

"Ichigo… do you think you can hold off the Vasto Lorde that leads them until I finish with the other six?" Halibel asked in a serious tone.

"Of course, why do you ask?" Ichigo questioned.

"I desire to test the depths of my new power on these six punching bags for the time being, after which I will join you." Halibel replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Ichigo.

"Zommari, while we're dealing with these lightweights, just keep out of combat." Ichigo stated, prompting Zommari to nod in understanding before using sonido to vanish from sight.

"Don't act as if we cannot hear you!" The Vasto Lorde exclaimed.

"I will be your opponent, therefore we will leave this area to the others." Ichigo stated before using sonido to exit that section of the forest.

"Ha, your funeral arrancar." The Vasto Lorde gloated before he followed suit and used sonido to vanish as well.

"I get first go." The porcupine declared as he stepped front and center to face Halibel.

'_You die first.' _Halibel thought, being sickened by the creatures arrogance.

"Are you really going to come at me one at a time?" Halibel asked mockingly, causing the six adjuchas to cackle like madmen.

"Don't act as if the first one of use isn't going to kill y…" The hollow taunted before a moment later the tip of a blade came thrusting through his torso from his undefended back.

Halibel had used sonido to get behind the hollow and stab him straight through the chest. A moment later she pulled her blade out of his back and used sonido once more to bring herself to his front.

Halibel looked at the porcupine's shocked expression before she sliced him clean in half, separating his upper and lower body.

His comrades could only stand and watch, not a single one of them capable of sensing Halibel make a move to end the existence of a member of their group.

"Who's next?" Halibel taunted as she swiped her blade to rid it of the adjuchas' blood.

_**Ichigo vs. The Vasto Lorde **_

"Your fast arrancar, that much I can give you." The hollow complemented as he entered the battlefield.

"You'll find that there is much more I can do than just move fast." Ichigo stated.

"Doesn't matter what you can do…" The Vasto Lorde began as he drew two spikes from his back.

"Your still gonna die." The hollow declared as he brought the two spikes to bear. They appeared to be crudely fashioned swords, each having a held and a defined tip. All an all they appeared to be standard-sized zanpakuto made of some form of stone.

"Before I kill you though I may as well tell you… my name is Kuma." The hollow stated as he entered his battle stance.

"If you believe you can kill me you're highly mistaken." Ichigo corrected, causing the hollow to laugh.

"Oh that's rich… draw your sword and let's see if your so smug after our fight starts." Kuma taunted, becoming confused as Ichigo brought his fists into a fighting stance.

'_What the hell is he doing?' _Kuma wondered as Ichigo began to glare at him.

"If you think I'll even need to use my sword, than that only goes to show how overconfident you really are. You can feel the difference in our strengths, cant you?" Ichigo questioned.

"I'm fully aware you have much higher spiritual pressure than me but that doesn't mean squat in a sword fight!" Kuma roared as he charged Ichigo.

Kuma approached Ichigo, swiping his blades relentlessly in an attempt to land a hit on Ichigo, who had only bee sidestepping the swift strikes with ease. The two began to move around in circles with Kuma pushing Ichigo backwards, the latter dodging the strikes with his hands in his pockets and an unreadable expression on his face.

The attacks kept coming but Ichigo refused to do anything but dodge, agitating Kuma to no end.

"Fight back already!" Kuma demanded as he continued with his onslaught of strikes with his makeshift swords.

"I made a promise to give Halibel some time to test out her strength, sorry." Ichigo apologized.

Ichigo's words only succeeded in agitating Kuma even more. His strikes became more swift and powerful. He had given it all he had just to try to make Ichigo make a move. Yet no matter how fast his attacks were, no matter how powerful, each and every one was dodged with ease.

"Stop dodging like a coward!" Kuma bellowed in between strikes.

"If you're under the impression I'm incapable of stopping your attacks…" Ichigo began as he took his hands out of his pockets and grabbed the stone like swords with one hand each.

'_Impossible!' _Kuma thought in disbelief as he saw Ichigo holding back his blades with his bare hand.

"…then your sorely mistaken." Ichigo finished.

"Bastard!" Kuma roared before opening his mouth and charging a pink cero, aiming directly at Ichigo.

Ichigo used sonido to get out of the way moments before it fired. The cero was strong, but the only damage it ended up doing was destroying the trees behind Ichigo, who was becoming annoyed at the Vasto Lorde's predictable attack patterns.

"I will kill you!" Kuma declared as he turned to face Ichigo once more and charged a cero in his mouth, repeating the same attack he did just moments ago.

Ichigo used sonido once more, only this time to appear directly in front of Kuma with his fist cocked back, and a scowl on his face.

Ichigo brought his fist forward and hit his opponent with such force that the cero immediately ceased its charging and the Vasto Lorde began flying though tree after tree until eventually creating a colossal hole in a nearby cliff.

"Hopeful that didn't end it… wouldn't want to disappoint Halibel." Ichigo thought aloud as he walked towards his seemingly unresponsive opponent.

_**Halibel vs. The Adjuchas **_

"Die!" The hyena adjucha roared as he began to swipe at Halibel with his claws.

The female arrancar made no attempt to counter attack as she only dodged the attacks without batting an eyelash.

Halibel abruptly used sonido to appear several yards in front of the group of hollows, who immediately turned to face her with their weapon brought to bear, be it claws, tails, whatever they were capable of using.

"You know, you're going to have to do better than that to put up a challange." Halibel taunted as she unzipped her jacket.

No sooner than those words left her mouth the hollows began to charge Halibel in blind furry.

Halibel's blade began to glow with yellow spiritual energy as the hollows approached her with the intent to kill.

"Too easy." Halibel taunted, a smile forming on her lips underneath her mask fragment.

One by one each adjucha had their attack at Halibel and failed, each landing on the opposite side of her after Halibel batted their attacks away without even using her sword.

"It's over." Halibel said as she turned to face the five adjuchas, who had expressions of pure malice etched on their faces.

"Ola Azul!" Halibel yelled as she sent out blasts of yellow spiritual energy at the five adjuchas.

On contact, each and every one of the yellow bursts of energy shot through a respective adjucha, all of whom vaporized a moment later.

'_It seems that my attacks have become more potent… my speed seems to have increased as well.' _Halibel thought as she resheathed her zanpakuto, though she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed seeing as how she hadn't really been challenged by the adjuchas.

"Ichigo has most likely become bored with that Vasto Lorde by now… better go and tell him to end it." Halibel mused before using sonido to head towards Ichigo's direction.

_**Ichigo vs. Kuma **_

"B-bastard!" Kuma spat weakly but vehemently as he stumbled out of the shattered cliff side.

"You know I was kinda worried that had killed you." Ichigo said, not paying attention to his opponents insult.

'_I sense that Halibel has ended her fight rather quickly… figures she'd be an efficient killer.' _Ichigo thought as he looked off in Halibel's direction.

Ichigo picked up the Vasto Lorde and threw him into the trees nearby, readying for the finishing blow.

Halibel appeared a moment later via sonido with a clear look of content on her face, even though her expression was covered by her mask fragment.

"Satisfied with your increase in power Halibel?" Ichigo asked with a knowing grin.

"It was mildly enjoyable… you may end your fight now." Halibel replied, prompting Ichigo to nod and face Kuma once more.

"I will not lose to you!" Kuma roared before beginning to charge a large cero in his mouth and aiming it directly at Ichigo.

"You're too predictable… and your attacks are way too weak. I will end you with one single attack." Ichigo stated as he began to charge a crimson cero in the middle of his chest.

"Cero." Ichigo uttered at the same time that Kuma's doom blast was fired.

Ichigo's cero tore through Koma's as if it were nothing but simple air. The Vasto Lorde disintegrated on impact and the area around him was burnt to a crisp. The trees for as far as the eye could see were destroyed, and the very ground appeared to crack under the pressure of the attack.

'_The strength of his cero never ceases to amaze me.' _Halibel thought as she admired the destructive capabilities Ichigo possessed.

Once Ichigo observed the damage he turned to face Halibel once more and began to give her an incredulous look.

"What?" Halibel asked, confused as to why Ichigo was giving her that look.

"You look very dangerous without your collar hiding your mask fragment." Ichigo replied, prompting Halibel to realize that he had yet to see her mask fragment.

"Why do you hide your face beneath that collar?" Ichigo asked, noticing that Halibel seemed slightly flustered.

"I-I… ummm." Halibel rambled, not entirely sure how to answer that question.

"I see you two have decided to finish quickly." Zommari commented as he appeared off in the distance.

"They weren't very strong." Ichigo replied nonchalantly.

Their conversation was cut short as the sound of an unknown projectile ripping through the air.

A moment later a bullet like object pierced directly through Zommari's chest, blood spraying fourth as his eyes became lifeless and he collapsed on the ground.

'_Dammit!_' Ichigo thought out of frusteration, not having seen the attack coming.

His frusteration was short lived as his ears were graced with the sound he had just heard before the object shot through Zommari, only the point of impact was clear to him this time.

"Halibel look out!" Ichigo yelled as he noticed that the projectile was aimed straight at Halibel's head.

She brought her blade out and slashed the object in two, successfully defending herself from the attack. Unfortunately, the sheer force of the attack was too much for Halibel to completely deflect due to her not being in a ready stance. As a result, the female Espada was sent flying into a nearby tree, shattering her mast from the bottom of her neck up and leaving her unconscious.

"No!" Ichigo exclaimed as he used sonido to appear next to Halibel in order to check on her.

Ichigo sighed in relief as he saw that Halibel was indeed breathing. Immediately after his sight shifted to the direction the attacks had come from.

'_Those attacks didn't have a trace of spiritual energy on them… but somehow it was powerful enough to knock Halibel into a tree even though she deflected the attack. What's more, if that attack connected, Halibel would likely be dead.' _Ichigo thought as he began to scan the immediate area.

His thought were interrupted as nearly two dozen Vasto Lordes appeared via sonido and surrounded him. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as he took in the number of powerful hollows that now appeared before him.

Not only were Vasto Lordes few and far between, but here in front of him were more than he though existed at the current moment.

"It appears you missed my king." A Vasto Lorde commented from beside the apparent leader of the group.

"She is out cold, therefore it doesn't matter. Once he is dead, she will follow." The alleged king replied, prompting Ichigo to glare at him.

'_Dammit, even if I fight them I will not allow Halibel to die because I wanted to end this more quickly. Zommari is already dead, I won't lose anyone else.' _Ichigo thought in frustration as he felt out the strength of the hollows around him.

"Who are you intruder?" The leader of the Vasto Lordes questioned in a commanding tone.

The figure appeared to be a man of average height and weight. His body was muscular and covered in plate-like armor everywhere below his neck.

The Vasto Lorde had no hair on his head, purple eyes, and white skin. The only abnormality was a mark that appeared to come from the back of his head and traveled to the top of his nose. The mark was a wide line the same color as his yes, and had dots that appeared symmetrically as the mark extended towards his nose.

To his right and left were two respective Vasto Lordes, each obviously incredibly powerful yet not quite as powerful as the king himself. One was distinctly male, the other distinctly female. Together they made the appearance as if they were his personal guards due to their positions.

"You know I could ask you the exact same thing." Ichigo replied.

"Hahahahahahaha." The Vasto Lorde laughed out of amusement before speaking once more.

"My name is Straga and I am king of the Menos Forest and soon to be destroyer of Las Noches." Straga boasted before continuing to laugh at Ichigo.

"I have told you my name intruder, now I will ask that you tell me yours." Straga demanded

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo replied, evidently shocking the proclaimed king.

"You're the brat that defeated the guardian of the Menos Forest along with a vast number of his troops. For that I thank you, boy." The hollow stated, confusing Ichigo slightly.

"Now if you'll be so kind as to die for me…" Straga said before being cut off.

"Yeah like that's going to happen. I'm here to end you and I will do just that." Ichigo stated as he grabbed Halibel and picked her up bridal style.

"You're beginning to annoy me brat." Straga declared as he pointed the palm of his hand at Ichigo.

At the center of his palm appeared to be a hole that could open and close on the will of the Vasto Lorde. As the hole opened a sharp stone like projectile could be seen within it, exuding no spiritual energy whatsoever.

'_That explains why I couldn't sense the attack. Even so, this one is incredibly arrogant to think that he would be able to kill me if I can see it coming.' _Ichigo thought.

Straga fired at Ichigo, only to miss completely as Ichigo had used the attack as cover to escape with Halibel in his arms via sonido, completely slipping past all of the Vasto Lordes with his incredible speed.

The attack created a crater where Ichigo had been, but much to Straga's anger, Ichigo was not in the crater.

"Find him you incompetent fools!" Straga yelled, furious that the two arrancar were allowed to escape on his own personal watch.

The Vasto Lordes began to scatter via sonido in search of the two escaped arrancar, if nothing else, only to get away from their enraged king.

"What are you two standing there for?" Straga asked rhetorically as he turned to face his two personal guards.

"We are going back to the throne area." Straga stated before using sonido to disappear.

The male immediately followed, but the female looked at where her master's attack had landed, her eyes still locked on the spot that Ichigo had vanished via sonido.

'_I only pray that you can keep your word Ichigo Kurosaki.' _The female Vasto Lorde thought before she too used sonido.

_**Menos Forest: Undisclosed Location **_

'_Dammit… I can't believe I didn't sense that attack coming.' _Ichigo mentally scolded himself for allowing Halibel to nearly be killed and for actually allowing Zommari to be killed.

'_Now I need to find a place that we can rest so that Halibel can recover.' _Ichigo thought as he stopped for a moment and began to look around for an area he knew the hollows would not find him.

"I feel a familiar spiritual presence nearby…" Ichigo thought aloud as his eyes began to search for its source.

Ichigo's eyes eventually settled on a cave that was obstructed form view by the trees, unnoticeable if one was not aware that it existed, but for some reason, the presence in the cave just felt familiar to him.

'_Yes, a cave!' _Ichigo thought happily before using sonido to head towards the cave.

Once inside, Ichigo set Halibel down and took out the device Aizen had given him that cloaked his spiritual pressure.

"I should probably make sure she is settled under hers before I begin to rest." Ichigo mused as he began to search Halibel's person for the device Aizen had given her.

'_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.' _Ichigo thought as he was unable to find the device.

"It must've gotten lost when she crashed into that tree." Ichigo thought aloud.

'_I guess there's really only one way to do this if we don't want them to find us while she is still unconscious.' _Ichigo thought as he lay down next to Halibel. Before he did so he had willed his mask fragment to disappear so that he would not accidently poke Halibel in her unconscious state and aggravate her more so than she would be if she found him laying next to her.

He brought the large blanket-like object over the two as he wrapped an arm around Halibel and pulled her close so they would fit under it.

A moment later Halibel began to move in her unconscious state, reacting to how Ichigo had placed his hand around her.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo thought, surprised as he felt Halibel turn towards him and nuzzle into his chest.

Ichigo looked down to see Halibel with a smile on her face. That was when it hit him. Halibel's face was completely visible to him for the first time, something that he had missed during the encounter with the rebellious Vasto Lordes.

'_She's beautiful…' _Ichigo thought as he smiled down at the female Espada.

'_My only hope is that when she wakes up she won't kill me for this.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought before drifting off into sleep with Halibel in his arms.

**A/N So there we go, next chapter will be posted on Tuesday and now onto the explanations and review responses. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo's Second Release**: Yes it was purposeful on my part to leave out the description. I have it ready and such but you won't get to see it for one or two more chapters because I am pure evil. But yeah, that is what was missing, quite a few people got that one right actually.

**Ichigo being able to recede his mask fragment**: Yes, he can do this. Techniquley speaking, he is a hybrid as I said before, but he shouldn't actually have the mask. He is more hollow than he should be at the moment, but that is corrected as his memories return. The same can be said about Starrk and Halibel, but they don't know what they are, so they can't even begin to go about seeing why they still have mask frgments, but for the record I will not say why they still have them because that reason is worth the wait.

**Ichigo not calling Aizen out**: He doesn't really remember that Aizen is a traitor… yet. And he believes that his reason for not telling him was good, but he has doubts. After hearing what happened, it could wait, and before the two speak again, Ichigo will regain a few more memories.

**The Strength of the Vasto Lordes/Adjuchas**: If you are one of those people that think Vasto Lordes's are invincible, you are dead wrong. I said this previously, but I will restate it. Vasto Lordes are not stronger than arrancar. The basis for this logic is from Halibel's backstroy, where the hammerhead shark hollow, who was an adjcuha, was turned into an arrancar by Aizen, then he beat Halibel and her three adjuchas companions pretty easily. This considered, I can't, in good consciounce make them ridiculously powerful. However, Straga and his two guards are actually really strong, other than that, not much to say.

**Why so many Vasto Lordes?**: The reason for this will be explained in a few chapters, all I will say is that not all of them are incredibly powerful.

**The Harem**: As I said before, it will be fairly small, and I will reveal each and every character in the harem after Ichigo returns to Las Noches.

**Gin and Rangiku's idea**: Since quite a few people got this right, I decided to spoil and say yes, it will be a Bleach beach day! However, more serious stuff happens first, and then the beach chapter is written.

**The Vizards**: Well, to be honest it is already proven they hate Aizen enough to help the Soul Society, so that's basically their thinking.

**From Previous Chapter, The Josuishi Stone**: The name is Japanese for measures, which is fitting because it measures spiritual energy and the maximum reserves someone has. It did detect Ulquiorra's second release, as you may be able to guess, and it is my own personal creation.

**Zommari Dying**: He is not a major character, and to be honest I wanted to make a slot open in the Espada. He had an interesting power, but all in all, he got demolished by Byakuya pretty easily, but sorry if you liked him at all.

_**Reviews**_

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, hope you liked this one.

**BleachFan21**: Thanks, now you know, and glad to see someone likes the explanation thing.

**Kami no Uzumaki**: Thanks, also good to see that my story is making people think about what I am going to do with it.

**darkmachines**: Ah, okay. Also, I know Szayel fired a Gran Rey Cero but I was talking about in the Winter War and I do have a quasi-reunion planned for the three you mentioned, though it is a little ways away.

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: The idea thing won't be for a bit, stuff happens and that's all I can say (That's all I will say ^^). Also, I may as well say that Aizen's logic will make sense, but when I say that I have to explain that he lied to Gin, he attempts to get Ichigo to follow him by other means, but it won't be quite so evil, and in the end, it all works out… I hope.

**Dp11**: Glad people like the somewhat quick updates, also sorry about me not saying what it looks like, but as I said above I know what it looks like and its pretty strong… but I made it so I guess I'm a bit biased. Also, your second question, you'll just have to wait and see…

**hornet07**: Yup, it will be funny/entertaining, trust me. Gratz on being the first person to guess that in a review, at least the beach specifically. I also agree with the Orihime thing, but she will be more driven in the future, I just like making her character that way. Also, I in no way intend to make Ichigo's love life easy… at all. It won't be an undeveloped kiss and make up fairytale ending and I do have the romance develop more. Each girl in the harem collides at one point and at that point, it's do or die for Ichigo… literally, but things do work out in the end.

**friaku**: No problem!

**The Night Hunter**: Glad to see you liked it, hope you liked the bits of Ichi/Halibel in this chapter, more on that in the future. Also, PM was sent to you, but you already knew that xD

**Kuroi Rin**: Here is the next chapter, also I spoiled that beach thing just for you! I remember saying you liked them, but I won't get you anything for Christmas now :P. Hope the explanation for what happened to Zommari was okay, but he is now dead, Halibel is unconscious, and Ichigo may or may not get his ass kicked by her in the next chapter for the position she wakes up in. I also agree that Yamamoto can make really, really, really, really poor decisions sometimes… well, most of the times.

**red**: Yeah, but again, I was referring to the Winter War, thanks for pointing that out though :D

**McCabeRz**: Thanks, he will continue to be a sort-of arrancar, but as you saw in this chapter, the mask can come off and it might not be permanent as I said before. Also, thanks for the compliments!

**EyeHeartOC's**: Hope you liked this chapter, a few OC's were introduced, but mayn died xD. Also thanks for your praise!

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it, also now you know.

**Guest(1)**: Yup, Ichigo also doesn't know what he is, so that's a bit of an issue too.

**TheEvilEye**: Yup!

**Guest(2)**: Yup! It will be, and no… sadly Ashido is not back… yet.

**The Unknown Shinigami**: Close, but nope. His Quincy powers play a more cameo role in this story and if I decide to do a sequel it will revolve around them, but as of now, the missing thing was his Segunda Etapa. As his emotions/memories return, he becomes more… complete.

**Unstoppable150**: Glad to see you liked them, and as I said before, I will say who is defiantly on the Harem in the near future.

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, you were right, I will try to make it good, and now you know, and once again, you were right.

**S.R.457**: Glad to see another 10/10! Thanks!

**Fire0770**: The answer to what happened is obvious until you think about it xD as crazy as it sounds, it's kind of true!


	24. Dreams, Memories, and Feelings

**A/N Here's the Chapter! **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 24**

_**Menos Forest: Undisclosed Location **_

'_Dammit… I can't believe I didn't sense that attack coming.' _Ichigo mentally scolded himself for allowing Halibel to nearly be killed and for actually allowing Zommari to be killed.

'_Now I need to find a place that we can rest so that Halibel can recover.' _Ichigo thought as he stopped for a moment and began to look around for an area he knew the hollows would not find him.

"I feel a familiar spiritual presence nearby…" Ichigo thought aloud as his eyes began to search for its source.

Ichigo's eyes eventually settled on a cave that was obstructed form view by the trees, unnoticeable if one was not aware that it existed, buy for some reason, the presence in the cave just felt familiar to him.

'_Yes, a cave!' _Ichigo thought happily before using sonido to head towards the cave.

Once inside, Ichigo set Halibel down and took out the device Aizen had given him that cloaked his spiritual pressure.

"I should probably make sure she is settled under hers before I begin to rest." Ichigo mused as he began to search Halibel's person for the device Aizen had given her.

'_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.' _Ichigo thought as he was unable to find the device.

"It must've gotten lost when she crashed into that tree." Ichigo thought aloud.

'_I guess there's really only one way to do this if we don't want them to find us while she is still unconscious.' _Ichigo thought as he lay down next to Halibel. Before he did so he had willed his mask fragment to disappear so that he would not accidently poke Halibel in her unconscious state and aggravate her more so than she would be if she found him laying next to her.

He brought the large blanket-like object over the two as he wrapped an arm around Halibel and pulled her close so they would fit under it.

A moment later Halibel began to move in her unconscious state, reacting to how Ichigo had placed his hand around her.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo thought surprised as he felt Halibel turn towards him and nuzzle into his chest.

Ichigo looked down to see Halibel with a smile on her face. That was when it hit him. Halibel's face was completely visible to him for the first time, something that he had missed during the encounter with the rebellious Vasto Lordes.

'_She's beautiful…' _Ichigo thought as he smiled down at the female Espada.

'_My only hope is that when she wakes up she won't kill me for this.' _Ichigo grimaced in thought before drifting off into sleep with Halibel in his arms.

_**Halibel's Dreamscape**_

"Where am I?" Halibel wondered aloud as she looked around her surroundings.

A moment later she recognized the place, or rather the room seeing as how it had become her home within a home since joining Aizen. Even if most of the rooms looked the same, she could tell this was hers.

In addition to this, she noticed that she wasn't wearing her vest and was lying down in her bed as she normally would when she slept, and that confused her slightly.

"That's a silly question." A voice came from her side.

Halibel turned to face the source of the voice only to widen her eyes in shock as she saw that Ichigo was on the other side of the bed. He, like her, wasn't wearing anything to cover his upper body, though his lower body, like hers, was in fact clothed.

"W-what are you doing in my room?" Halibel questioned, becoming confused as Ichigo chuckled at her question.

"Aren't we the forgetful one?" Ichigo joked, prompting Halibel to shoot him a glare.

"You know if you glare at me long enough your beautiful face could get stuck like that." Ichigo lightly chided.

'_What?' _Halibel wondered as she felt her face heat up at his veiled compliment.

"Your so cute when you blush." Ichigo chirped somewhat mockingly.

"I-I am not." Halibel defended as her blush deepened.

At this point she began to wonder how he could see her blush. She was sure that her blush was only forming on her lower cheeks, which could only mean that her faced would be exposed, but that shouldn't be possible.

Halibel suddenly realized something. Her mask fragment was no longer on her face. It had disappeared from the bottom of her neck up and had left her breasts covered. She also noticed that Ichigo didn't have his mask fragment either, something that greatly surprised her.

"What happened to my mask fragment? What happened to yours for that matter?" Halibel exclaimed as she felt her face to confirm her realization.

"Isn't that obvious?" Ichigo questioned as his smile shifted into a mischievous grin.

"Will you stop answering my questions with more questions?" Halibel asked in an annoyed tone.

"Didn't you just do the same thing?" Ichigo joked.

"As did you just now." Halibel retorted.

"Hehehehe… well to answer your first question, you are in your room, as am I." Ichigo began. Halibel made to speak once more but was silenced as Ichigo placed his index finger on her mouth in a gesture of mild affection.

'_Why don't I want to kill him for doing that?' _Halibel wondered as Ichigo took his finger off of her lips, having expected to become filled with rage for being silenced in such a manner by a man.

"To answer your second question…" Ichigo said as he removed his finger and brought his lips closer to hers, shocking Halibel by what he was obviously about to do.

'_What is he…' _Halibel thought immediately before she felt Ichigo's soft lips connect with hers.

Much to her surprise she found it enjoyable. Almost immediately she closed her eyes and brought herself into the kiss, tilting her head slightly so as to deepen it.

Moments later the two came apart, Halibel placed a set of fingers on her lips, feeling as if Ichigo was in fact still kissing her.

"Does that answer your question?" Ichigo asked, getting a dull nod from Halibel as a response.

"You know you could say something." Ichigo laughed, bringing Halibel out of her temporary daze.

"Why did you do that?" Halibel asked.

"Well that's kind of what mates do Halibel." Ichigo replied as if the answer was obvious.

'_Mates?!' _Halibel thought as her eyes widened to illustrate her shock.

"So you… and I?" Halibel half asked. Ichigo nodded in response before he brought her into an embrace and gazed deeply into her green eyes, smiling affectionately at her as he did so.

"When did this happen?" Halibel asked as she returned Ichigo's gesture and stared into his deep brown eyes.

"The moment after you asked me to be your mate." Ichigo answered.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue with what we started." Ichigo said, beginning to kiss Halibel's neck.

She released a soft moan immediately before a bright light flashed, ending Halibel's dream.

_**Menos Forest: Ashido's Cave **_

Halibel's eyes snapped open, bringing her back into consciousness.

'_Why do I feel warm?' _Halibel wondered, only for her to widen her eyes in shock a moment later as she saw that she was currently nuzzled into Ichigo's chest with his arm around her and the spiritual concealment devise Aizen had given them covering their bodies.

'_I remember… I deflected an attack and the last thing I remember was flying into a tree.' _Halibel thought as she recalled what events likely brought the two to this position.

'_This still doesn't explain why we're… like this.' _Halibel thought, being unsure of what she felt in this position, especially considering that her dream was fresh in her head.

'_What is this feeling… that dream, why did I have it? Why do I not want to pull away from him?' _Halibel wondered as she found herself unable to move from her position, as if some part of her just didn't want to leave his arms.

'_Perhaps it is best that he not know I woke up first…' _Halibel thought as she nuzzled further into Ichigo's chest and returned to her sleep, smiling slightly.

_**Ichigo's Dreamscape**_

"This is… new." Ichigo said as he found himself in the middle of some strange town in the world of the living.

"Where the hell is this place?" Ichigo wondered aloud as he began to walk down the streets.

The area appeared to be just a normal city, people walking in the streets, trees and sidewalks as far as the eye could see, cars driving in the roads, shops on every corner. He didn't know why, but he could swear someone he knew would love this place if only for the stores.

"This is obviously the world of the living." Ichigo mused as he saw humans pass him on the streets.

"Only question is, are they able to see me or is this just a memory?" Ichigo wondered aloud, getting his answer a second later when several humans passed directly through him.

'_That answers that.' _Ichigo thought as he continued to walk.

He now knew that if this was a dream, it clearly wasn't one where he had a presence, at least not in the way he thought he would.

"This town feels familiar… did I used to live here?" Ichigo wondered as he continued to traverse the familiar setting of the town. He would swear he knew the name, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

All of a sudden the scenery around him began to shift and Ichigo found himself inside what appeared to be a human school room which was evident by the many adolescent humans wearing uniforms.

'_What the hell is this?' _Ichigo wondered as his surrounding changed without any warning.

A moment later the door opened, revealing none other than Ichigo Kurosaki walking in with a satchel over his shoulder and wearing what seemed to be a school uniform.

"I knew I was good looking but this is just too much." Ichigo joked, not entirely sure of what to make of this situation. Any thoughts he would have were pushed aside when several people walked up to greet him, or at least the memory or dream version of himself, which one that was he had no idea.

"_Good morning Ichigo!_" A red headed woman chirped as she alongside three others walked up to greet him.

"_Hey guys, morning._" Ichigo greeted, giving a slight smile to the group.

"_Kurosaki you really should manage your time better, you were almost late this time._" A boy stated as he pushed up his glasses, giving Ichigo a calculating glare.

"_Bite me, I was up late preforming my "oh so fun" duties as a Substitute Soul Reaper._" The memory version of Ichigo replied as he walked over to his seat.

'_Substitute Soul Reaper?" _Ichigo wondered, not sure if he had heard "himself" correctly.

Almost immediately after the memory form of Ichigo took his seat the memory paused sporadically, confusing Ichigo slightly.

'_Well I suppose I should just go with it.' _Ichigo thought.

"_I know you three… but why can't I remember your names?"_ Ichigo wondered as he walked up to the three that had greeted him.

"Why is it that when I look at you I have the overwhelming desire to punch you?" Ichigo asked rhetorically as he stood before the boy with glasses.

"I said Substitute Soul Reaper… was I a Soul Reaper at some point, but if that's true, how could I become an arrancar?" Ichigo wondered aloud as he stared at the memory version of himself.

Ichigo gave "himself" an incredulous stare before his eyes settled on a skull badge that appeared to be made of wood which rested on "his" hip.

'_I recognize that badge.' _Ichigo thought as he started at the iconic badge.

The memory once again changed. Ichigo found himself atop a large hill that overlooked what appeared to be the Seireitei, a location he knew by heart at this point.

"This place… it must be the Soul Society… nothing in Hueco Mundo or the world of the living is like this." Ichigo mused before turning around and seeing a gathering of Soul Reapers.

"This seems very familiar." Ichigo said as he walked towards the group.

"_Do you have any last request girl?_" An old man bellowed as he addressed a Soul Reaper who appeared to be a prisoner.

'_This place… its Sokyoku Hill… I saved someone from being executed here… I remember I invaded the Soul Society with those other three.' _Ichigo thought as he stared at the nameless woman who was tethered to the execution stand.

The memory froze once more directly before the girl replied.

"That girl… I know her… she once saved me and my family." Ichigo thought aloud as he stepped directly in front of the short raven haired Soul Reaper.

"Your name… I feel as if I know it… just like the other three. I can't remember it." Ichigo said absentmindedly.

"Why can't I remember your name?! Why can't I remember the names of anyone who should be important to me?!" Ichigo roared in frustration. Just as these words left his mouth he found himself in yet another location.

Ichigo looked around to find himself in a sideways city with a bright blue sky. His sights were immediately brought to a phantom-like figure that was currently standing on a flagpole.

The man had long brown hair and clearly wore some form of sunglasses to shield his eyes. His cloak gently went along with the wind as it blew past him.

"This place… this is my inner world." Ichigo said as he walked towards the figure on the pole.

"**Ichigo…**" The figure began in a very familiar voice.

'_That voice…' _Ichigo thought, instantly being able to recognize the voice of his former power.

"**Abandon your fear. Look Forward. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Shout my name Ichigo!**" The spirit yelled as he turned to face Ichigo.

"Zangetsu!" Ichigo screamed, having now remembered his former zanpakuto. He knew for a fact that at one point he was absolutely a Soul Reaper, of that there was no doubt. However, that just made him even more curious as to how he was an arrancar, or at least that's what he thought he was.

"I was a Soul Reaper once… you were my power." Ichigo thought aloud before Zangetsu began to fade away.

In his place stood a pure white version of Ichigo, the image of this being chilled Ichigo's bones to their core. His sickening grin, cleaver like zanpakuto strapped to his back, all of these things came to Ichigo as familiar.

"**I'm going to get closer and closer to you until I swallow you up and then… then you'll disappear.**" The white version of Ichigo stated before fading into the shadows.

The scenery changed once more, only now Ichigo found himself looking at a battle between him in Soul Reaper form and a sickening hollow, the name of which Ichigo immediately knew.

"The guardian…" Ichigo recognized as "he" continued to fight the hollow.

Moments passed before the memory form of Ichigo clenched his face and appeared to become paralyzed in the middle of the battle. Just as the guardian was about to finish him off, a familiar figure stepped in the way and tool the full force of the guardian's claws directly through his torso.

The figure used some form of a spell to bind himself to the guardian before throwing himself off of the cliff. Mere seconds later, a large explosion could be heard from below the precipice the man had jumped off.

"_Ashido!_" Ichigo heard his memory form scream as he ran over to the cliff and stared down at where the explosion had come.

'_Ashido… he saved my life.' _Ichigo thought sadly as he witnessed the depressing memory.

'_That is how I sensed the cave. That is why the spiritual pressure in it felt so familiar to me.' _Ichigo thought, realizing how he seemed to know about it.

"If I hadn't stopped randomly… no I didn't… I remember who that white figure was." Ichigo thought aloud.

"He was my inner hollow." Ichigo realized, remembering all the trouble he had in dealing with him.

"I fought him for some reason… I can't remember why." Ichigo thought allowed.

"After our fight… that purple spiritual energy tore my inner world to shreds. I remember waking up not as a Soul Reaper but as an arrancar. On top of that I had lost my memory of how that happened." Ichigo said directly before his location changed once more.

Ichigo now found himself in the middle of a barren mountain-like cave surrounded by swords. Hundreds upon hundreds of these swords were scattered amongst the rocks as far as the eye could see.

"This is where I learned how to use Bankai…" Ichigo remembered as he walked through the relative graveyard of swords.

"This place… I remember fighting against Zangetsu." Ichigo thought aloud.

Ichigo continued to walk until stopping dead in his tracks as he saw two people, one a red headed boy, and the other a dark skinned girl, relaxing in the pool of soothing water.

'_I remember this… that woman…' _Ichigo thought as he stared down at the two, only to see a profusely blushing Ichigo and an unknown woman smirking in triumph and giggling sporadically at how the boy appeared to act.

"_You're such a prude Ichigo._" The woman teased.

"That voice." Ichigo exclaimed before he found himself in the midst of yet another scenery change.

'_What the hell is this?' _Ichigo wondered as he found himself standing in a room, overlooking a bed. The most curious part of the entire situation was that the same woman was now nuzzling deeply into the chest of someone that was no other than Ichigo himself.

"Please just stay here… Ichigo." The woman requested as she shut her eyes and allowed sleep to take her.

"Good night… Ichigo." She said. The memory form of Ichigo kissed the woman on her forehead in a gesture of affection. He smiled at the woman affectionately as he began to speak again.

"Good night…" He began only for the memory to freeze a second later and for Ichigo to find himself being pulled out of his dreams by a bright light.

_**Menos Forest: Ashido's Cave**_

"Ichigo!" Halibel shouted as she shook Ichigo by his shoulders in an attempt to wake him up.

Ichigo's continued to sweat and grimace as he slept on, causing Halibel to become even more worried than she already had been.

His head was warm enough to the point that he was practically on fire, and his spiritual pressure was fluctuating between nonexistent and incredibly high.

'_What's wrong with him?' _Halibel wondered out of worry.

Ichigo abruptly shot up from his position on the floor of the cave and began breathing heavily as he recovered from whatever was happening to his body.

'_I should give him time to gather himself before speaking to him.' _Halibel thought as she noticed Ichigo was obviously recovering from some sort of sudden ailment.

Moments passed and Ichigo's breath began to calm down, his sweat began to subside and his fever had lowered to his normal body temperature.

"Ichigo… what happened?" Halibel asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"When I was sleeping more memories returned to me…" Ichigo said, frowning as he realized he had yet to remember many of the people he saw in during his sleep.

"I remember that I was a Soul Reaper… I remember my zanpakuto and I remember many events from my life." Ichigo stated, surprising Halibel slightly.

"That is good news is it not?" Halibel asked, curious as to why Ichigo was still frowning.

"The only bad thing about it happens to be that I couldn't recognize the people that were apart of those events." Ichigo replied in a saddened voice.

"Perhaps you just require more time." Halibel said in an attempt to comfort Ichigo.

"It's just… it's just that I remember the feelings I had during those moments of my life, but I can't remember who inspired these feelings." Ichigo replied.

"I remember anger, happiness, sadness, despair, hope, and oddly enough what I thought was love, but I can't be sure." Ichigo continued, not noticing that Halibel stiffened slightly as he finished.

"I don't know why my memories were triggered seeing how this hasn't happened yet, at least not this way." Ichigo thought aloud.

"Perhaps if you retrace your actions." Halibel suggested.

"We were surrounded by many Vasto Lordes so it would have been risky to fight otherwise you could have been injured. Their leader was obviously the most powerful and seemed as arrogant as Barragan, even calling himself the king of the forest." Ichigo began.

"I sensed a familiar spiritual prescience when I was looking around the forest and found this cave. Once we were in the cave I figured it'd be best if I used the devices Aizen gave us to mask our spiritual pressure. Unfortunately only mine was left." Ichigo said as a light blush came onto his face.

'_Why is he blushing?' _Halibel wondered as she raised a brow at Ichigo.

"So I improvised and made the two of us fit under the one so that we wouldn't be found and ummm… you kinda… sorta… cuddled with me while you were unconscious…" Ichigo explained, his comment causing Halibel to noticeably blush despite her tanned skin.

"Then I fell asleep and that was that… oh wait." Ichigo said, recalling something that may have been important.

"This cave belongs to a Soul Reaper that I met while I was trying to escape the Menos Forest… that could be the reason." Ichigo mused.

"It's either that or the fact that I slept alongside you." Ichigo said joked, making Halibel frown due to the tone he used.

"I mean in all seriousness, one of my memories was myself lying alongside another woman." Ichigo added in a more serious tone, having noticed that his joking tone didn't appear to be very well received. He however, only succeeded in angering Halibel further.

"So you were sleeping alongside me and dreaming of another woman?" Halibel asked with venom backing her words. She wasn't sure why she was upset, but she thought it had something to do with the fact that while she was dreaming of Ichigo, he was in fact dreaming of a woman, it just wasn't her.

'_Crap!' _Ichigo grimaced in thought, realizing that he obviously should not have said that.

"It was a memory and I'm positive we only slept alongside one another, not… that." Ichigo reassured, taking note that Halibel was now sending him a full-fledged death glare.

"How convenient." Halibel growled, being skeptical of Ichigo's excuse.

"Well even if it is convenient, it's the truth." Ichigo defended.

"Why do you even care anyway?" Ichigo asked, turning the proverbial table.

Halibel's blushed, albeit briefly, at the question, shocked that after only one dream about Ichigo she got so possessive.

"I don't." Halibel lied, causing Ichigo to chuckle at her response.

"Why are you laughing?" Halibel asked, regaining her composure.

"You are a terrible liar." Ichigo pointed out, earning another death glare from Halibel.

It wasn't that Halibel couldn't lie, it was just that she never really did. Plus, Ichigo was pretty good at sensing the intent behind peoples actions and words.

"Any particular reason you seem so… touchy at the moment?" Ichigo asked.

"Excuse me for being slightly worried that you appeared ill, perhaps next time I won't try to wake you." Halibel barked.

"You… were worried… about me?" Ichigo asked in disbelief, becoming serious once more.

Ichigo didn't know why, but he felt a sudden surge of emotions. He felt bad that he had pressed the issue when he really didn't need to. He felt guilty that she appeared annoyed by it, if not slightly hurt. Lastly, he felt the need to comfort her and to make her feel as if she didn't have anything to worry about. One word came to mind, protect, and that was something that confused him though he wasn't in the right state of mind to dwell on it.

Halibel only nodded in response, sporting her usual scowl and still glaring at Ichigo.

"If you tease me about it, you will find my zanpakuto planted in your chest." Halibel threatened, using a tone so that Ichigo knew she wasn't lying.

Immediately after she said those words Ichigo appeared directly in front of her and pulled her into an embrace.

"Thank you." Ichigo whispered into her ear.

"Don't patronize me." Halibel said, venom still backing her words.

"I'm not." Ichigo said honestly, noticing that Halibel returned the gesture and wrapped her arms around him as well.

"I will do my best not to make you worry… Halibel." Ichigo promised as he pulled his head back and looked into her green eyes.

"If you enjoy being able to walk that is a good decision." Halibel half joked, making Ichigo chuckle slightly.

'_This had better not be another dream.' _Halibel thought as she stared into Ichigo's eyes.

"I ummm… I think we should get going." Ichigo said as he took his gaze off of Halibel's eyes.

"R-right." Halibel replied as she reluctantly exited the embrace, though why she did so reluctantly no longer confused her.

After her brief moment of clarity, she noticed something, much like she had in her dream, neither she nor Ichigo were wearing their masks.

"Ichigo, why don't you have your mask? I know mine was shattered but why is yours gone?" Halibel asked, genuine confusion evident in her tone.

"Oh, that was so I didn't end up poking you in your sleep." Ichigo replied before willing his mask fragment to return.

"Now if you would just reform your mask fragment we can get going." Ichigo stated as he leaned against one of the cave's walls.

"How did you do that?" Halibel questioned in a surprised voice. She had never seen a hollow mask put on at will before so needless to say she was slightly taken aback.

"I just can… I've never really not been able to do since I became an arrancar." Ichigo replied.

'_Which reminds me, Aizen has some serious explaining to do when I get back._' Ichigo thought. He was promised answers and right now the only answer he wanted was how he became an arrancar and he damn well would get the answer from Aizen.

A moment later Ichigo's mind returned to the fact that Halibel didn't have her mask, and that gave him an idea.

"You don't have a hollow hole like me, correct?" Ichigo abruptly asked, eliciting a nod from Halibel.

"Then like me you should be able to will it to recede or appear by using your spiritual energy. Just simply concentrate on reishi expanding or retracting in the form of your mask." Ichigo explained. In his mind it was worth a shot.

Halibel closed her eyes and did as she was instructed. Moments later her mask extended from the bottom of her neck and once more covered her mouth and most of her cheeks.

'_I wonder if I am like him in other ways as well…_' Halibel thought, her mind wandering back to when Ichigo had used Gran Rey Cero and Cero Oscuras during the demonstration of his abilities.

"Now let's get going, we have a king to kill." Ichigo said before using sonido to vanish from sight, shortly followed by Halibel.

_**Karakura Town: Urahara's Shop **_

The bell rang signaling that someone had entered the door to the shop, immediately causing Urahara to wake up from his nap and rush to the door.

"Well hello potential customers." Urahara greeted in an upbeat tone before being hit in the face with a sandal and being sent to the wooden floor of his own shop.

"Can it Kisuke, you know why we're here." Shinji said as he walked into the door followed closely by Hiyori.

"So I take it you accepted the offer?" Urahara asked as he rubbed his cheek where a red sandal imprint was now visible.

"Yes actually." Shinji replied in his usual tone of voice.

'_And I can't believe we are.' _Hiyori thought out of frustration.

"But more importantly, we have some conditions that need to be met if we are ever going to officially accept." Shinji added.

"What might those be?" Urahara asked in his uncharacteristically serious tone. He expected this would happen given what the vizards had gone through.

"Firstly, we all want pardons for being deemed enemies of the Soul Society, mostly just to get them off our backs. Secondly, we do not want to be forced to rejoin the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Thirdly, after Aizen is dealt with the Soul Society will never bother us unless the fate of the entire universe is somehow at stake. Finally, we want our trips to the Soul Society to be kept at a minimum." Shinji answered, causing Urahara to sweat drop.

"That all?" Urahara deadpanned.

"That's about it…" Shinji said, now sporting a content smirk.

"I'll inform the Soul Society of your acceptance and I can say with assurance that your terms will be accepted." Urahara replied.

"Then we best get going…" Shinji trailed off before exiting the shop as quickly as he arrived.

'_This may be the first time I've seen those two together without Hiyori beating him with her sandal.' _Urahara thought in amusement.

_**Urahara's Shop: Underground Training Facility **_

"Yoruichi!" Urahara called out as entered the training grounds.

The sound of smashing rocks answered his call without the need of a voice.

'_Suppose she's venting.' _Urahara thought as he walked towards the loud sound.

"Yoruichi." Urahara said as he found his oldest friend smashing boulders with her bare hands.

"How you holdin' up?" Urahara asked, expecting the answer to be negative if the way she was smashing boulders was any indication.

"I'm managing Kisuke, but to be honest my talk with Soifon helped me out quite a bit." Yoruichi replied cryptically.

"What'd she tell you?" Urahara asked with a raised brow.

"She told me to not lose hope that he's still alive… even if that doesn't sound like the best idea I've ever heard, it's the one I'm going with." Yoruichi said her usual tone of voice.

'_Same old stubborn Yoruichi… oh well, maybe Ichigo is really alive. Considering its Aizen, it wouldn't surprise me.'_ Urahara thought as a small smile formed on his lips at seeing Yoruichi's mood brighten slightly.

"I'm here to tell you the vizards accepted and I'm on my way to the Soul Society to work out the details." Urahara stated.

Yoruichi nodded in understanding before going back to smashing boulders. Urahara walked away and opened the Senkaimon in order to complete the alliance between the Soul Reapers and the vizards.

_**Soul Society: Unknown Location **_

"You know I always find it weird that I can't control the exact location I come out of." Urahara thought aloud as he walked out of the Senkaimon only to find himself somewhere in squad ten's barracks.

"For your sake you'd better not be able to control it." Hitsugaya stated having spilled his tea due to the abrupt opening of the Senkaimon in the middle of his squad's training ground.

"Urahara, what are you doing here?" Matsumoto questioned as she resealed her zanpakuto.

"The vizards accepted our offer to form an alliance I'm here to speak to the head captain." Urahara replied.

"Really? That's fantastic news." Hitsugaya stated, rather happy that, for once, good news was brought to the Soul Society.

"Yes it is, now if you'll excuse me I best be going." Urahara chirped as he began walking off.

"Oh Urahara, the head captain is probably going to ask you to… perform a little choir for him when you go, thought I'd give you the heads up." Rangiku said, causing her captain to raise a suspicious eyebrow at her.

"Does this have anything to do with what you spoke to the head captain about?" Hitsugaya asked in an annoyed tone. He knew damn well whatever she was talking to the head captain about, he wouldn't like, and that made him uneasy.

"Of course not captain, what wound ever give you that idea?" Rangiku replied in an innocent tone.

_**Menos Forest: Outside the Lair of the Vasto Lordes**_

"There are so many of them." Halibel said as she saw the many Vasto Lordes crowding around a makeshift thrown made from a collection of trees.

"I count at least twenty five and sense another six around the perimeter." Ichigo said.

"How can such a number of Vasto Lordes even exist at the same time?" Halibel wondered aloud.

"It is possible that many of them have only recently been created, considering that many of them have the spiritual pressure of a relatively strong adjucha, meaning that their transformation could have been premature." Ichigo reasoned.

Ichigo immediately shifted his attention to the throne where Straga sat with a bored expression on his face with the same two Vasto Lordes at his side.

"Those three are going to be the biggest problem. Each is a powerful Vasto Lordes, as in a lot stronger than any of the others. I can sense that the king is the strongest but the two on his sides are the second strongest hollows in that group by a long shot." Ichigo stated.

"You are correct, their strength is incredible. I would say that if any of those three were turned into arrancar, their power would rival Starrk's before his power was somehow increased." Halibel thought aloud.

"What's our plan of attack?" Halibel asked, prompting Ichigo to take his eyes off the throne and turn to face Halibel.

"Straga is their leader and as I said he is impossibly arrogant. However, he knows how to gather supporters obviously. The only way I can assume he gathered this many hollows under his control is likely through demonstrating his strength." Ichigo began.

Halibel immediately knew what Ichigo was getting at with his reasoning.

"You believe that he will face you by himself." Halibel realized.

"Exactly, if he does not he will appear weak to his followers, and that will give me an even greater advantage. That's why I will challenge him while you fight the other two." Ichigo stated.

"What if you or I fail?" Halibel asked, slightly worried that this plan may backfire.

"Neither of us will fail. I will use all my strength to crush Straga quickly. Once that is done the others will disperse or die by his side." Ichigo replied.

Ichigo wasn't one to end a fight quickly, but at the moment he wanted answers, and the Vasto Lordes wasn't exactly on his good side after the sneak attack he performed that ended in Zommari's death and Halibel becoming unconscious.

"Very well, let's get going." Halibel stated before using sonido, quickly followed by Ichigo.

_**Las Noches: Straga's Throne **_

Straga sat bored out of his mind as he awaited one of his subordinates to report something, anything, on the whereabouts of the two arrancar that had escaped his grasp earlier.

To his right stood a male Vasto Lorde with the figure of a tall muscular man. His entire body was covered with gray plate armor with the exception of his brow eyes, which were could be seen through two narrow slits on his mask, and the very back of his head which allowed his blonde hair to flow in the form of a ponytail. His weapons were two battle axes with wooden grips, each strapped diagonally on his back. His overall appearance was that of a brutish knight-like hollow with immense spiritual energy.

To Straga's left stood the female Vasto Lorde, who had a slim but well-endowed figure. Like her male comrade, she was covered with what appeared to be thin, black armor which hugged her body tightly. Two narrow slits were located above her wrists, clearly for the use of combat. Piercing purple eyes could be seen though two holes in her mask, and her long pitch black hair extended to the center of her back, which could be seen coming from the rear of her skull as the mask only covered the front of her face and left the back of her skull exposed. A general phrase to describe this Vasto Lorde would be beautiful but incredibly deadly if looks were anything to go by.

"Is there anything to report?" Straga asked in an annoyed tone as he turned to his right to face the male Vasto Lorde.

"No sir, our scouts have turned up nothing so far." The hollow replied.

"Typical." Straga huffed in annoyance.

"Master, perhaps if you would allow Risha to scout the area the intruders would be found more quickly." The male Vasto Lorde suggested.

"After all, I am the only hollow you would need to defeat the two intruders." He boasted.

"I am not as fast as that male arrancar. Therefore my going would be useless." Risha argued from her position at the other side of Straga.

"She is correct Minos, that annoying little pest was able to slipped pass even my senses." Straga replied in a gruff voice.

"How cute, you have a pet name for me." Ichigo joked as he appeared in front of the throne.

"You dare come into the presence of our king?!" Minos roared as he reached for his battle axes and readied them for a fight.

"Stand down you simpleton." Straga ordered right before Minos charged Ichigo, effectively making the Vasto Lorde heel.

"You have some nerve coming into my presence while I am surrounded by my army." Straga stated, smirking with contempt as he stared down at Ichigo and Halibel.

"Although I admire the boldness of your action, I am more surprised that you would do something so stupid." Straga taunted as he stood up from his throne, still smirking like a madman.

"Straga, self-proclaimed king of the Vasto Lordes, I challenge you to a fight to the death." Ichigo stated.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha, that's a good one arrancar, as if our king would bother himself with the likes of y…" Minos said before being cut off.

"You will be silent when I am addressing an enemy Minos." Straga ordered in a tone of finality, prompting Minos to become deathly silent.

"You truly believe that you… you, of all people, can defeat the likes of me?" Straga questioned in an amused tone.

Ichigo nodded his head causing Straga to chuckle lightly and shake his head in amusement.

"You seem pretty confident your power is greater than mine, however in truth you won't even put up much of a fight." Ichigo declared.

'_That arrogant little…' _Minos thought in frustration, biting his tongue so as to not anger his king.

Risha on the other hand was of an entirely different opinion than that of her male comrade.

'_This one has guts… I like that.' _Risha thought as she allowed a smile to form on her lips under the armor that covered her face. She could just sense the misguided irritation coming from Minos and the feeling of anger start to creep on her "king".

"Halibel, shield yourself with your spiritual pressure, ask questions later." Ichigo ordered, eliciting a nod of understanding from Halibel despite her confusion as to why he requested her to do so.

"Don't make me laugh arrancar, You? stronger than m…" Straga gloated only to be silenced as a massive fluctuation of spiritual pressure began to exude from Ichigo, practically knocking the breath out of him due to the sudden surge.

Many Vasto Lordes around the throne area began to breathe heavily under the pressure, several fainted, and the king began to glare at the orange haired arrancar that proved to be the source of the vast spiritual pressure.

"You were saying?" Ichigo taunted, causing Straga to growl in mild annoyance.

"Since your so intent on this I shall defeat you quickly." Straga declared.

"I don't think so." Ichigo said defiantly as he drew his sword and placed it horizontally in front of himself.

"I'm going to crush you with the everything I've got." Ichigo declared as he began to exude massive amounts of dark crimson spiritual pressure.

"Pierce the Heart, Zangetsu!" Ichigo roared as he ran his hand across the flat side of his blade.

As the release phrase sounded, the massive amount of spiritual pressure that was exuding from Ichigo ceased as one final wave passed through the air, signaling the transformation was complete. Smoke surrounded where Ichigo was, obstructing his body from view.

The smoke cleared a moment later and Ichigo was revealed, now standing in his first released state, horns and all.

The appearance was so menacing that even Straga began to sweat slightly as he observed the new appearance of the arrancar.

"Your final form is not so special you pest, I am more than capable of defeating you." Straga stated, albeit without his usual tone of cockiness.

'_He's nervous… this man will without a doubt end that cruel bastard.' _Risha thought as she admired the ferocity of Ichigo's new appearance.

"If you really think that this is the extent of my power… you're dead wrong." Ichigo stated, surprising Halibel along with Straga and his guards.

"You're bluffing. The most powerful form of an arrancar is their Resurreción, which allows them to access their hollow powers. Do you think me a fool?" Straga said with confidence.

Black spiritual energy laced with red began to surge around Ichigo at an alarming rate, spiraling into the sky and surrounding Ichigo until it consumed him completely. One final blast of spiritual energy condensed in the form of a spire that shot straight into the sky before dying away.

"Resurreción… Segunda Etapa." Ichigo uttered as he entered his form of ultimate power.

**A/N Well, next chapter will be posted Friday, till then :D**

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo's Second Form**: I figured it was so epic that I would let it sit on a slight cliffhanger for a few days, but you will get to see the fights on Friday.

**Ichigo's Memory**: He doesn't remember Aizen's betrayel, but he remembers certain events, like living as a Soul Reaper and invading the Soul Society, he just doesn't remember those events in context. Just like he doesn't remember why he ended up meeting Nel and why he doesn't remember the reason for Ashido helping him. He will remember soon, and when he does, the story begins to shift slightly.

**Halibel's Powers**: Yes, she can get rid of the mask as well. She also realizes she is capable of doing several other things that Ichigo is next chapter. ^^

**Why Ichigo can sense Ashido but the guardian couldn't track him down**: Okay, so for this one the reason is simple. Ichigo spent more time literally in contact with Ashido than any of the hollows in the forest, therefore he has a better sense of his spiritual energy, or where it has been.

**Halibel's Dream/possessiveness**: As far as her dream goes, that was her "hidden feelings" coming out, excuse the terrible use of the pun. Also, I just see her being possessive, but then again, all the members of the Harem sort of end up together in a scenario where they each want Ichigo to themselves and their own possessiveness plays a role in why it works out… that is, why it makes it funny to write at least.

**How Strong are the Big Three?(Vasto Lordes)**: They are pretty damn strong, though why that is wont be revealed for a bit, but I do have a reason for it.

**Risha**: She is an OC of my design and her back-story will be reveled in latter chapters. Let's just say, she doesn't like Straga… at all, and she mirrors Halibel in a lot of ways, but her story takes a different turn then hers did, though the end result will be the same.

**Re, Why so Many Vasto Lordes?**: Ichigo is right, Straga created the army by "force-feeding" which isn't exactly the best way to make a Vasto Lorde.

_**Reviews**_

**BeachFan21**: Thanks! Hope it wasn't a letdown, also yeah I made them up. For the Vasto Lorde Ichigo fought last chapter, I just used a random name generator, the others just kinda came to me.

**awesomeness4286**: Thanks, glad to see the pacing is adequate.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Yes, of course they will, why that is I won't say but I can say that quite a few will. Oh, and thanks!

**EyeHeartOC's**: You'll have to wait on the second release, but as for OC's, here you go!

**Arrankor**: Don't worry, he will also he is the type to be upset by a comrade dying.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Sorry for the evil cliffhanger, like you said, I am an Evil Genius! ^^

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Yes, she was, but Ichigo doesn't have to know that (shhhhhhhhh)

**darkmachines**: Szayel may or may not be moving up, like you said I am always keeping the readers on their toes. As for Fraccion, I already have something planned, but you'll see next chapter or so. Also, yeah, if Grimmjow saw Ulquiorra smiling, he would freak out xD

**Guest(1)**: Yes, but the strength of the kings attack isn't that it is strong, it's that if he so chooses, it releases no spirit energy, and sine Zommari doesn't have that strong of a hierro, he died. He is a bit of a badass but that is evident by how he got 20+ Vasto Lordes to follow him, plus he has balls the size of boulders for thinking he can crush Aizen. Oh and it will be cool, but I will say the appearance of the Segunda Etapa changes as his memories return.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: No, that wasn't the only reason. I had figured that since he isn't really a major character, nor did he participate in a serious fight, I would end up killing him of fanyway. Plus, if I wrote him having any fights, it would just be either him being overpowered because he can control limbs, which is useful, or him getting demolished by a far superior opponent. Either way, it was what I thought was the best decision I could make.

**The Unknown Shinigami**: What happened to him and the hollow will be revealed at in a much later chapter, all I can say is they aren't PERMANENTLY gone, but they are for now.

**friaku**: Thanks, hope I will be able to deliver in the future.

**Kuroi Rin**: A pleasure to spoilt for you! It will be don't worry xD, You get to see what he looks like in his Segunda Etapa next chapter. Also, yes the female Vasto Lorde wants the king dead, but the reasons for that will be revealed in the future, also she didn't and I hope you like the little bit of IchigoxHalibel I had in the beginning. Thanks for always dropping a review, they are always fairly long and I appreciate it!

**Sevenar**: Yeah, I agree, but the reasons for why _they_ are strong will be revealed shortly, either through Risha's backstory or through some other method. Also, the reason that the "king" took out Zommari and knocked out Halibel was because the attack couldn't be sensed, that's why it is so lethal. Also, if Halibel had seen it coming and had been in a ready stance, she easily deflects it. Aizen _did _acknowledge Ichigo had more power, but that doesn't mean he is stronger considering that Aizen is a better fighter a better strategist and the fact that he has Kyoka Suigetsu makes it less than even. For his releas, sorry you have to wait until Friday xD.

**Arawn D. Draven**: Thanks! Also, you _may _be right… or not :P.

**The Night Hunter**: I'm not racist, your racist because you forgot about Tosen! Thanks and you got the answer via PM (NO SPOILERS!)

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, also yeah you should be!

**AsBlackAsNight**: Glad to hear it!

**Guest(2)**: I haven't decided who I am going to kill off, at least not the entire list.

**Guest(3)**: No, from memory I know that's the release from Devastating Consequences and a Segunda Etapa has no release phrase other than the words "Resurreción, Segunda Etapa".

**Bigby the Big Bad Wolf**: She really wasn't defeated, just caught off guard, plus it gave me an excuse to write the first part of this chapter. He won't, and he will and I understand.


	25. Fall of the Unknown King

**A/N Here you go, the , not so, long awaited Chapter 25 **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off this.

**Chapter 25 **

_**Menos Forest: Straga's Throne **_

"You have some nerve coming into my presence while I am surrounded by my army." Straga stated, smirking with contempt as he stared down at Ichigo and Halibel.

"Although I admire the boldness of your action, I am more surprised that you would do something so stupid." Straga taunted as he stood up from his throne, still smirking like a madman.

"Straga, self-proclaimed king of the Vasto Lordes, I challenge you to a fight to the death." Ichigo stated.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha, that's a good one arrancar, as if our king would bother himself with the likes of y…" Minos said before being cut off.

"You will be silent when I am addressing an enemy Minos." Straga ordered in a tone of finality, prompting Minos to become deathly silent.

"You truly believe that you… you, of all people, can defeat the likes of me?" Straga questioned in an amused tone.

Ichigo nodded his head causing Straga to chuckle lightly and shake his head in amusement.

"You seem pretty confident your power is greater than mine, however in truth you won't even put up much of a fight." Ichigo declared.

'_That arrogant little…' _Minos thought in frustration, biting his tongue so as to not anger his king.

Risha on the other hand was of an entirely different opinion than that of her male comrade.

'_This one has guts… I like that.' _Risha thought as she allowed a smile to form on her lips under the armor that covered her face. She could just sense the misguided irritation coming from Minos and the feeling of anger start to creep on her "king".

"Halibel, shield yourself with your spiritual pressure, ask questions later." Ichigo ordered, eliciting a nod of understanding from Halibel despite her confusion as to why he requested her to do so.

"Don't make me laugh arrancar, You? stronger than m…" Straga gloated only to be silenced as a massive fluctuation of spiritual pressure began to exude from Ichigo, practically knocking the breath out of him due to the sudden surge.

Many Vasto Lordes around the throne area began to breathe heavily under the pressure, several fainted, and the king began to glare at the orange haired arrancar that proved to be the source of the vast spiritual pressure.

"You were saying?" Ichigo taunted, causing Straga to growl in mild annoyance.

"Since you're so intent on this I shall defeat you quickly." Straga declared.

"I don't think so." Ichigo said defiantly as he drew his sword and placed it horizontally in front of himself.

"I'm going to crush you with everything I've got." Ichigo declared as he began to exude massive amounts of dark crimson spiritual pressure.

"Pierce the Heart, Zangetsu!" Ichigo roared as he ran his hand across the flat side of his blade.

As the release phrase sounded, the massive amount of spiritual pressure that was exuding from Ichigo ceased as one final wave passed through the air, signaling the transformation was complete. Smoke surrounded where Ichigo was, obstructing his body from view.

The smoke cleared a moment later and Ichigo was revealed, now standing in his first released state, horns and all.

The appearance was so menacing that even Straga began to sweat slightly as he observed the new appearance of the arrancar.

"Your final form is not so special you pest, I am more than capable of defeating you." Straga stated, albeit without his usual tone of cockiness.

'_He's nervous… this man will without a doubt end that cruel bastard.' _Risha thought as she admired the ferocity of Ichigo's new appearance.

"If you really think that this is the extent of my power… you're dead wrong." Ichigo stated, surprising Halibel along with Straga and his guards.

"You're bluffing. The most powerful form of an arrancar is their Resurreción, which allows them to access their hollow powers. Do you think me a fool?" Straga said with confidence.

Black spiritual energy laced with red began to surge around Ichigo at an alarming rate, spiraling into the sky and surrounding Ichigo until it consumed him completely. One final blast of spiritual energy condensed in the form of a spire that shot straight into the sky before dying away.

"Resurreción… Segunda Etapa." Ichigo uttered as he entered his form of ultimate power.

Halibel gasped as she gazed on Ichigo's final form, a gesture that was mimicked by Straga and his two guards, though for different reasons.

Ichigo took on a modified appearance of his normal released form, looking even more menacing than before. His legs were still covered in a battle torn Soul Reaper uniform, giving the image of a dangerous warrior, however, the claws that were present on his hands and feet were now more defined and clearly more dangerous, appearing as if they were made for piercing flesh. His skeletal teeth had become sharper and more demonic in nature and a thin dragonic tail with scattered tribal markings now came from his tailbone, extending from the back of his waist and resting on the ground below him.

The two greatest changes however were the set of white dragon-like wings that extended from his shoulder blades, on the back of which were tribal markings that matched the look of the other respective wing. The black standard sized zanpakuto Ichigo once wielded now grew in length to that of his former zanpakuto in Shikai and at its end were three spiked protrusions that were on the opposite side of the blade.

His menacing appearance was complete with the shifting of his tribal markings from light black to dark red, giving him the appearance of a winged demon. If this form was as powerful as it was frightening, then it had to be extremely powerful.

"Segunda Etapa?" Halibel asked absentmindedly as she tried to take in what Ichigo had just done.

Ichigo turned around to face Halibel, for the first time giving her the full view of his wicked appearance.

"This is what you sensed atop the dome of Las Noches Halibel… I would ask that you keep this our secret for the time being as I have not yet discovered the capabilities of this form." Ichigo replied, though like previously his skeletal mouth did not move.

'_Such power… it feels as if the full force of the ocean is being brought down on me.' _Risha thought as she felt the sensation that was Ichigo's spiritual energy. It was completely unrestrained and exuded from him like an endless current shooting through a river.

"The end result will be the same." Straga stated shakily, no longer being as arrogant as he once was when addressing Ichigo.

"What's the matter? You look as if you have seen a demon." Ichigo taunted, knowing full well that his appearance had caused fear to plague the back of the Vasto Lorde's mind.

"Follow me whelp." Straga ordered before using sonido to leave head towards a nearby plateau.

"That arrancar is strong, therefore I will go help our master." Minos declared before being hit with the full force of a punch from Halibel.

He was sent flying into the nearby mountainside under the plateau that his master was about to fight Ichigo on.

"I will be your opponent as Ichigo defeats your master." Halibel stated in a calm tone as she retracted her hand and drew her sword. A moment later, Minos exited the small intentation he had made on the Cliffside, clearly filled with anger.

"You insolent wretch!" Minos roared as he brought his axes to bare and charged Halibel in a fit of rage.

_**Ichigo vs. Straga **_

"This shall be our battlefield." Straga stated as he turned to face Ichigo.

"And the site of your defeat dear king." Ichigo added, earning a glare from Straga.

'_This one is powerful… no doubt about it, but he is still no match for me.' _Straga thought in an attempt to reassure himself.

"You seem less confident than before." Ichigo pointed out, taking note that as he said this Straga began to lightly sweat.

"And you seem even more so." Straga retorted.

"If I wasn't sure I was going to defeat you, I wouldn't come across as so confident and yet here I am." Ichigo replied.

"In fact, I do not need my sword to settle this fight." Ichigo said as his sword dissipated into black, red-tinted spiritual energy.

"That was a mistake on your part but sadly you won't live to regret it." Straga stated as he readied his own weapon.

On the back of each of his forearms, a curved blade of intricate design shot out, clearly meant for carving an opponent apart limb by limb. The blades began to glow with light purple spiritual energy, seemingly strengthening them similarly to how Ichigo strengthened his zanpakuto when he was a Soul Reaper.

"Let's get this started!" Straga roared confidently as he charged Ichigo.

Blow for blow, strike for strike, Ichigo deflected each attack as Straga began to charge him with sheer malice. Each time he would bring his forearm across Ichigo's body in an attempt to cut him and each time Ichigo would use his claws to deflect the attack.

Straga used sonido after he believed his attack pattern had become predictable and appeared behind Ichigo and landed a strike straight down his back in between his wings.

As the blade tore down Ichigo's back, only sparks flew revealing that Ichigo's hierro was too strong to be pierced by his attacks. But it wasn't just normal hierro, it was very clear that his skin was being strengthened by his spiritual energy and was not just naturally hard to penetrate.

Before Ichigo could counter attack Straga used sonido as quickly as he could in order to distance himself from his opponent in order to ready himself for his next attack.

'_So it appears that even a being of his power is not capable of scratching my hierro in this form.' _Ichigo thought as he stared at Straga, who was obviously coming up with another plan of attack.

Faster than normal eyes could see, Straga used sonido in order to appear directly in front of Ichigo with his palm outstretched and the hole in his had opened, revealing the projectile that he had used earlier.

The self-proclaimed king immediately shot the attack once he was in front of Ichigo, only to widen his eyes in shock a second later as it passed straight through him and the attack shot off into the forests.

'_Afterimage!' _Straga thought out of frustration a mere moment before a powerful punch sent him reeling across the plateau, scattering gravel as he tried to use his spiritual energy to stop his motion.

As soon as he recovered his footing, Straga used sonido to move wherever he could, deathly afraid of an attack during his moment of weakness. Though he was trying to sense any sort of pattern in his opponents attacks, he hadn't forced Ichigo to go on the offensive and therefore didn't know what he was capable of, and that scared him, though he would never admit it.

Straga came out of his sonido a second later, only to see that Ichigo had not even bothered to move from the spot he was in when he had delivered his punch to Straga's abdomen.

"You know with you fighting that slow your chances of getting to me aren't really all that good." Ichigo said in an emotionless tone.

Straga made no response, he only glared at Ichigo as he panted and placed a hand on his abdomen where Ichigo's punch had landed.

'_Dammit… he actually managed to shatter my outer hierro. But how could he do that with just a single punch?' _Straga thought in disbelief as he felt his armor cracking at the point of impact.

"To be honest I give you credit, that punch should have sent you flying into a rock formation." Ichigo complemented.

"This fight… is far… from… over…" Straga said in-between pants.

"I don't think…" Ichigo began before using sonido to appear directly in front of Straga.

"…that's true." Ichigo finished as he grabbed Straga's head in the palm of his hand and picked him up.

'_I didn't even see him move…' _Straga thought with wide eyes as he felt Ichigo's claws grasp his face before he was violently thrown into a nearby rock formation, unable to do anything to stop the force of Ichigo's hand due to the damage his punch had done.

_**Halibel vs. Minos and Risha **_

Halibel matched Minos's axe swings with a simple motion of her blade, having had more than enough practice in fighting dual wielding enemies thanks to Nnoitora's ridiculous grudge against women that were stronger than him.

'_He is fast… faster than any Vasto Lorde I have ever seen. I may be significantly stronger than him, but how did his spiritual energy get so high?_' Halibel wondered. It just wasn't normal for a regular hollow, Vasto Lorde or not, to be even remotely a match for an Espada-class arrancar, yet clearly this one was of the caliber of Nnoitora or Grimmjow at full power, though due to the fight she was unable to focus on this thought and stored it away for later.

Regardless of how many attacks were thrown her way, Halibel deflected them, but she was unable to find any holes in the Vasto Lorde's defenses during his strikes. It was as if he relied on brute force to cover for the lack of being able to deal with an enemy on the offensive.

'_His attack patters are fairly predictable… perhaps if I disrupt it he will leave an opening.' _Halibel thought as she continued to block the flurry of axe strikes.

Halibel immediately used sonido to appear on the side of the Vasto Lord and made to strike at his side, only to have her attack easily deflected.

'_I've got you.' _Minos thought in triumph as he brought his other axe across the bottom of Halibel's neck.

Where he had expected to hit flesh, the axe pierced nothing but the image of Halibel's neck, immediately before Minos could feel his left arm being severed from the other side of his body.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" Minos roared in pain as he clenched the stub where his arm had been.

"You are a fool for allowing such a thing to happen." Risha chided from the sidelines of the fight.

"Stay out of this you weakling!" Minos shouted before turning to face Halibel once more.

"You afterimage using coward!" Minos spat as his arm regenerated before Halibel's eyes.

'_He clearly allows his anger to affect his judgment in a battle… that will be his undoing.' _Halibel thought as she observed Minos's reaction.

The enraged Vasto Lorde used sonido in an attempt to get his other axe back and quickly began charging the female Espada once more, only this time with a different pattern of strikes.

During his flurry of strikes Halibel used sonido to replace herself with an afterimage once more, only this time appearing several yards away from Minos with her blade glowing with yellow spiritual energy.

"I will end you!" Minos roared as he turned around to charge Halibel once more.

The blades clashed, only this time it was Minos who found himself being pushed back due to the strength and precision of Halibel's strikes. The spiritual energy from her attack was strengthening her sword as she looked for an opening to defeat her opponent from the offensive side.

'_Perhaps now would be an opportune moment to try something…' _Halibel thought as she continued to push the brutish Vasto Lorde back.

Something had been plaguing her mind since she found out both she and Ichigo could dispose of their masks, and that was if she was able to break the bounds of what a normal arrancar should be able to do, and now she had a chance to find out.

Halibel used a quick combination of slashes to cause an opening directly over her opponents chest. Once the opening was created, she placed pointed her blade at the dead center of the Vasto Lorde's abdomen, her blade still glowing and her opponent unable to react.

"Ola Azul." Halibel uttered, launching the attack of spiritual energy into the abdomen of her opponent and sending him flying into the nearby forest.

Immediately after she was sure her opponent was trying to recover Halibel outstretched her hand and began to charge a blindingly white cero at the top of her left index finger. The very sight of the whiteness of the cero made her smile as she looked forward to what the power of the attack would be.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Halibel yelled, firing the devastating attack directly at her recovering opponent.

A massive explosion could be seen that rocked the very foundation of the Menos Forest, completely shattering trees within the immediate area. The blast had obviously connected with its intended target and brought a beautiful spectacle of destruction to the eyes of anyone nearby.

'_So it appears I am more like him than I thought.' _Halibel mused, allowing herself an even larger smile under her collar and mask fragment.

"I noticed that you did not attack me as your friend did." Halibel said as she turned to face the female Vasto Lorde who had just watched as she potentially killed her comrade.

"He is not my friend and I have no wish to help him." Risha replied, confusing Halibel slightly.

"However… so long as the king lives, I must fight you." Risha stated in a tone lace with regret as an assassin-like blade came out of each of the two narrow slits on the top of her wrists. Halibel herself unzipped her jacket, knowing full well that her next opponent was significantly stronger.

'_This one is calm and calculated… she will defiantly be a much more deadly opponent than the fool I dispatched of a moment ago.' _Halibel thought as she began to size up her new opponent.

Moments later Risha used sonido to appear before Halibel and attempted to sever her head form her body with one swing of her right assassin's blade.

Halibel dodged the attack, albeit barely, and found the resolve to quickly counter before she sustained any serious injuries.

The two began to engage in combat, sending sparks flying as the blades of Risha and Halibel repeatedly connected with one another.

Neither one of the two was letting up. Neither was prepared to give an inch, that much was obvious.

Unfortunately for Halibel, the speed and precision of Risha's strikes gave her the edge she needed to push Halibel back little by little, effectively putting her on the defensive.

In an attempt to get off of Risha's back foot, Halibel used sonido to put a good amount of distance between the two, appearing behind Risha in order to rethink her plan of attack.

Both female warriors stood in silence, each glaring at the other as if daring the other to make the first move.

"I do hope your friend ends his fight with Lord Straga soon, otherwise it would be a shame if I angered him by killing his mate." Risha stated impassively, causing Halibel to blush under her high rise collar, though she maintained her calm in the situation.

"He and I are not mates, nor does he currently possess one." Halibel replied, not taking her eyes off of Risha for a second in case this was a ploy to distract her.

"I'd have figured a being that powerful would have chosen one already… oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter." Risha mused.

Halibel's sword once again began to glow with yellow spiritual energy, signaling that she was preparing to use the same attack that she had used not moments ago on Minos.

Much like her opponents, Risha's blades began to glow with pure purple spiritual energy, appearing to be a mirror image of Halibel's attack with the exception of its color.

"Ola Azul." Halibel uttered before sending her attack of spirit energy shooting towards Risha.

"Daga Oculta." Risha uttered at the same time, sending two purple bullets of spirit energy, each the shape of her sword, spiraling towards Halibel's attack.

The two projectiles fired from Risha were an equal match to that of Halibel's, the attacks collided in-between the two and cancelled one another out.

Halibel began to fire her attack endlessly as Risha mimicked her action by doing the exact same thing. The center of the battlefield became the line in the sand as the attacks continued to cancel each other out, creating a massive amount of smoke due to the multiple colliding attacks.

Once the stalemate became evident Halibel outstretched her left hand and began to charge a yellow cero on the tip of her index finger.

Risha responded by doing the same and charging a pure purple cero on the tip of her left blade, aiming it directly at Halibel.

"Cero!" The two shouted simultaneously, sending their respective doom blasts raging towards the other.

Purple collided with yellow in the center of the battlefield, creating a resounding explosion that created a small tremor which rocked the floor of the Menos Forest.

The smoke from the explosion subsided revealing both woman to still have their hands outstretched and giving each other a calculating stare.

"You are clearly stronger than every other Vasto Lordes here except the king… and yet you clearly have no respect for him. Why is it that you follow him?" Halibel asked, temporarily ceasing the fight the two were in the middle of.

"I may be strong but as you say, but I was defeated by him and allowed to live… as a result, I follow him until he dies… that is the way of the hollows." Risha replied in all seriousness, causing Halibel to frown under her high rise collar.

'_So she was subjugated…_' Halibel thought sadly. She was aware that female hollows were easier pray for the males, and that was the reason Halibel had chosen to group with her fraccion during her time as a Vasto Lorde. Risha was clearly a good fighter and the king likely saw this, which is why she was allowed to live considering his end goal was to defeat Aizen. However, Halibel couldn't help but feel sorry for her considering their roles were easily reversible given one wrong turn.

"Your master will die." Halibel stated, confident that Ichigo would end the fight rather quickly.

"I'm quite counting on it." Risha replied.

Halibel didn't know how she knew, but she could tell Risha was smirking under the armor that shielded her face from view.

"So what will you do when…" Halibel said when all of a sudden the battered form of a man appeared on the battlefield via sonido.

"You bitch!" Minos yelled as he appeared between the two, glaring at Halibel.

Minos's armor was completely shattered from his waist up and on his left leg, revealing his human face to be revealed, though with his injuries it wasn't a pleasant sight. His body was covered with burns, and he was bleeding profusely and panting to the point that he was barely able to hold his weapons up.

"I'm… going… to kill you." Minos weakly declared, though his rage was easily evident.

_**Ichigo vs. Straga **_

Ichigo approached the cloud of dust and debris his opponent was currently lying in, walking slowly and appearing rather bored with the fight.

'_I think I undertand now… his appearance, his power, I know now why I am at a disadvantage._' Straga thought as he planned his next plan of attack from his hidden position. He had been thinking about the purpose behind Ichigo's form and he discovered that a majority of the effect it had was mental. He would be lying if he said the form didn't make him feel wary, it appeared as if hell itself had come to his doorstep. That said, thought like this weakened his resolve… and he wouldn't tolerate that.

"So was all your talk about defeating me just your arrogance refusing to acknowledge that I'm stronger?" Ichigo asked tiredly, as he stared into the dust.

All of a sudden the dust began to spread away from the center of the impact point, revealing Straga with both of his hands on outstretched and a dark purple cero charging on his palms.

Seeing the cero charging at such close range, Ichigo outstretched his right hand and prepared to block the attack.

"Die!" Straga roared as he fired off his cero. The energy put behind it was dark and hostile, and that in turn made it incredibly powerful, in fact, it even seemed as if it was a modified cero, though Ichigo knew that was not true.

The attack raged through the air until it ceased upon making contact with Ichigo's hand.

Once the cero connected, Ichigo thrust the powerful attack into the sky effortlessly, leaving a shaking Vasto Lorde staring at him in disbelief at what he had just witnessed.

'_That's not possible… no one should be capable of blocking my cero with a mere hand.' _Straga thought as he began to sweat nervously.

"My turn…" Ichigo said as he brought his right hand back down from above his head and began to charge a crimson cero on the tip of his index finger.

"Cero." Ichigo uttered.

The ball of energy had charged and fired so quickly that Straga hadn't even had the time to react were he in the proper mental state.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Straga shouted as he felt the cero encase his body and the beam shoot around him. The upper half of his armor shattered completely and entire limbs were nearly burnt away due to the intensity of the attack.

Straga fell to his hands and knees once the blast had finally subsided, barely able to stand due to the extensive damage his body had received.

'_Perhaps he has finally given up.' _Ichigo thought as he observed how battered Straga's body was.

"Oh mighty one, I have some unfortunate news…" Ichigo began in an overly sarcastic tone.

"You have lost… give up now and accept your fate." Ichigo demanded. He didn't like to kill, that much he knew, but he was obviously cruel and he owed him one from prior.

"Never…" Straga whispered weakly as his burns began to heal.

"Never…" Straga repeated in a louder voice.

"I will never accept defeat from the likes of you!" Straga shouted as he got up from his hands and knees and outstretched both of his hands towards Ichigo.

The two holes in his hands opened, revealing the spiked rock-like projectile that was usually fired out of them to be glowing with dark purple spirit energy.

Straga began to fire the projectiles at Ichigo as rapidly as he could, powered only by his rage and refusal to lose to an arrancar.

"It's useless." Ichigo stated as he began to bat his dragon-like wings at the glowing bullets, knocking each harmlessly to the side, one by one.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Straga screamed at the top of his lungs at he continued to fire in vein.

Once Ichigo had had enough of deflecting Straga's feeble attempts at a last minute victory, he used sonido to appear directly behind his opponent.

'_What?' _Straga thought as he felt Ichigo's tail wrap tightly around his neck.

Quicker that he could react, Straga found himself being thrust into a nearby boulder, the tail still constricting his neck.

Ichigo began tossing Straga around with his tail, never ceasing his grip and pounding the arrogant Vasto Lorde into the ground multiple times until he became bored and threw him up into the air.

The Primera then used sonido to appear on top of his opponent and sent him plummeting back into the ground of the platform with a powerful swing of his tail.

Straga lay in the middle of a crater that had been the result of his crashing back into the ground beneath him. His body was burnt and broken to no extent, to say that Straga was on death's door would have been an understatement.

"This fight is over Vast Lorde…" Ichigo began as he dropped his release form and returned to his normal form, mask fragment and all.

"I won't even give you the privilege of dying to my full power after all the crap you pulled. Thanks to you, I lost a comrade and nearly lost a second." Ichigo continued.

"You fought well but you will die in the end." Ichigo finished as he walked up to the immobile hollow.

'_If I go down… I will at least take someone down with me.' _Straga though in defiance. That's when something occurred to him. His opponent appeared upset that he had lost a comrade, and very quickly one last ploy at revenge, even in death, came into his head.

"Hahahaha… hahahahaha." Straga laughed, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"You find dying funny?" Ichigo asked, himself not having wanted to actually have to kill the arrogant hollow.

Ichigo's answer came in the form of Straga outstretching his hand to Ichigo with the hole in his palm opened. Straga, in his final moments, used all the strength he could muster and shot one final projectile as what appeared to be an act of defiance.

The attack shot directly to the left oh Ichigo's head where his mask fragment was present, succeeding in doing nothing but shift his hair slightly due to the wind created by the attack as it passed his head.

"Seems you missed." Ichigo pointed out as he gave a sad frown at the Vasto Lorde who seemingly refused to accept his death.

"I… w-w-wasn't… a-aiming… for you." Straga whispered weakly, immediately before his head collapsed lifelessly into the ground and he began to fade away into dust.

Ichigo turned to see where the attack was heading, only to widen his eyes in shock as he noticed the attack had traveled below the platform and was heading straight towards Halibel's battle, the location of which immediately alerted him to what the Vasto Lorde had meant.

"Halibel!" Ichigo screamed before using sonido as fast as he could to head down to where Halibel was fighting off Straga's two guards.

_**Halibel vs. Minos and Risha**_

"Did you not learn your lesson the first time?" Halibel asked as she noticed Minos's had stabbed the tips of his axes into the ground in an attempt to regain his balance.

"He is a beast of habit, he doesn't learn." Risha clarified. If she said she liked the Vasto Lorde, or even said she didn't mind him as a comrade, she would by lying through her teeth, or mask fragment in her case.

Minos just stood in between the two, panting and attempting to regain some semblance of his strength in order to defeat the woman who had nearly killed him mere moments ago.

"Your masters spiritual energy is nearly vanished." Halibel commented as he felt Straga's once potent spiritual pressure wither away to near nothingness. At this, she smirked under her collar, she knew Ichigo had won.

"I… don't… care." Minos stated between pants.

"If our master dies… I will make sure to kill you… and that infuriating man." Minos stated in defiance as he dropped his weapons in favor of mounting one final attack.

"If your master is dead why would you persist?" Halibel asked. Before an answer could come from the enraged hollow, a scream form Ichigo's fight interrupted her conversation.

"Halibel!" A voice shouted from atop the plateau, bringing the attention of all three of those present towards the source of the voice.

One of Straga's spiked bullets was raging towards Halibel, glowing dark purple and moving too fast for her to even react due to the abruptness of the attack. Halibel closed her eyes and braced herself as the attack became mere feet away from her.

A moment after the sound of piercing flesh could be heard as the bullet pierced skin, sending blood pouring to the ground.

'_Why do I not feel pain?' _Halibel wondered as she opened her eyes to see what had happened.

Before her stood Ichigo with his hand clenching his abdomen and bleeding profusely from the point the attack had impacted.

'_He sacrificed himself… to save me.' _Halibel thought as she realized what had happened.

"Perfect, two annoying birds with one stone!" Minos roared as he began to charge a crimson cero in the palm of his outstretched hand.

"Now is when I avenge the death of Lord Stra…" Minos exclaimed before a jolt of immense pain rocked his body, causing the cero to dissipate into the air.

'_What?' _Minos thought in disbelief as he felt himself involuntarily cough up blood that had filled his throat.

The Vasto Lorde looked down to see two assassin-like blades sticking out of his chest, located in the center of where his lungs should be.

The blades retracted a moment later, dropping Minos to the floor of the Menos Forest, dead and covered in blood.

"My former master is finally dead… for that I thank you." Risha said as she walked up to Ichigo.

"Ichigo… will you be alright?" Halibel asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice for the moment.

"Give it a second…" Ichigo said through gritted teeth. At the moment, he was just praying for his instant regeneration to stop the bleeding and get rid of the pain. His one regret was that he didn't strengthen his hierro with his spiritual energy to stop the attack, but considering Halibel was okay, he felt it didn't matter.

The blood began to turn white and coagulate, healing the hole in his abdomen. Ichigo's clothes were slightly bloody but his condition retuned to that of full health.

"Much better." Ichigo abruptly said as the pain in his lower abdomen disappeared.

"It's good to see your alright, but I guess I should thank you too…" Ichigo began as he turned to face the hollow that had prevented a cero from being fired at them.

"Risha… Risha Midori." The female said, noticing that Ichigo wished to know her name.

"I could have been hurt a lot more if that cero have been fired." Ichigo added.

A moment later the female Vasto Lorde kneeled before Ichigo, an action that confused him greatly.

'_What is she doing?' _Ichigo wondered, though Halibel had a good idea of the answer to that question.

"You freed me from that monster and have proven yourself to be of greater strength. Allow me to follow you as your servant, Lord Ichigo." Risha stated from her kneeled position.

"Lord what now?" Ichigo exclaimed, surprised that Straga's former servant had this particular reaction to his death. He wasn't aware of who she was, or even why she was doing this, but Halibel knew full well the Vasto Lorde had no love for her "king".

"I believe she wishes to serve you… Lord Ichigo." Halibel lightly mocked, causing Ichigo to shoot her a glare for a brief moment before looking down at Risha.

"I'm no lord and I do not use people as servants, let me make that perfectly clear." Ichigo stated in all seriousness.

"Then you will not allow me to serve you?" Risha asked in a disappointed tone.

'_This whole situation is completely weird.' _Ichigo thought as he pondered what he should say to the female Vasto Lorde. He had to choose his words carefully because he took Halibel not killing her yet as a sign that she knew something he didn't, and if he said something stupid, he'd piss her off, which was something he didn't really want to do… ever.

"You may not serve me…" Ichigo began, causing Risha to noticeably wince.

"…but you may follow me." Ichigo continued, causing Risha to look up at him with wide eyes.

'_Follow?' _Risha wondered, the term not being entirely familiar to her.

"It appears you have found yourself a fraccion." Halibel stated, smirking slightly under her collar.

"I'm not going to demand that you become my fraccion if you do not want to." Ichigo added before being cut off.

"I would be honored to be your fraccion, Lord Ichigo." Risha stated as she bowed her head from her kneeled position.

"Just Ichigo would be fine and you don't have to bow." Ichigo said, prompting Risha to get up.

"I suppose before we return to Las Noches we will need to make sure the others are dealt with." Ichigo mused as he turned to face Halibel.

"That will not be necessary Lord Ichigo." Risha commented, causing Ichigo's eyebrow to twitch at the mention of 'lord' in reference to his name.

"Why might that be?" Halibel asked, though she was highly amuse that Ichigo disliked titles. She made a note to remember that.

"Many followed Straga because he was strong. Minos was a rare exception to this and I was forced to follow him because he defeated me in combat. The rest likely fled when they felt his spiritual pressure vanish from existence." Risha explained.

Both Halibel and Ichigo nodded to one another before turning to face Risha once more.

"Then we are done here… Risha, stay close to us. Las Noches is a big place after all." Ichigo said before beginning to walk towards the exit of the Menos Forest.

_**Karakura Town: Urahara's Underground Training Facility **_

"What's taking so long Kisuke?" Shinji griped as he sat on a nearby boulder with the rest of the vizards.

"Hold your horses Shinji, last time I calibrated this thing incorrectly and ended up in the squad ten training rounds." Urahara replied as he began to fiddle with the machinery.

"Allied with the Soul Reapers for a few hours and already they want us to go back to the Soul Society." Hiyori complained, though many of the vizards shared her frustration.

"Well more than likely this is going to be the last trip you'll have to make in the near future." Yoruichi stated.

"Still doesn't mean we have to like it…" Kensei mumbled.

"Oh cheer up Kensei!" Mashiro chirped, causing tick mark to appear on Kensei's forehead.

"Okay everyone its ready." Urahara stated as he dusted his hands off.

_**Soul Society: Captains Meeting Room (30 minutes later)**_

"This meeting has a twofold purpose, the first being the introduction of our new allies, and the second being an idea that was submitted by the lieutenant of squad nine." Yamamoto stated.

'_Why do I have a feeling I won't like this?' _Hitsugaya grimaced as he looked over his shoulder to see his lieutenant fist pumping.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get on with it." Shinji said tiredly from across the room.

"So you are the vizards everyone has been speaking of?" Komamura questioned as he eyed the group of former Soul Reapers.

"What of it?" Hiyori spat, obviously discontent with being back in the Soul Society.

"Be nice for the time being Hiyori." Shinji ordered, prompting Hiyori to glare at him though she did nothing else.

"Is it true that you possess hollow powers?" Hitsugaya asked, having wanted to see exactly how that aspect of their powers worked.

Shinji placed his hand over his face and formed a hollow mask that resembled the face of an ancient pharaoh. The abrupt action startled many in the room who had no idea how their powers manifested, though they knew not to grab their swords and make the situation even more tense than it already was.

"**That answer your question?**" Shinji asked rhetorically before allowing the mask to dissipate.

"How exactly do those hollow powers of yours work?" Kyoraku inquired. The hole situation of the vizards had intrigued him since he learned what had happened to his former colleagues, and he found the whole dynamic quite interesting.

"It allows us to become incredibly more powerful for a period of three minutes at a time, after which we lose to ability to use the mask for a period of time." Rose explained.

"Not me!" Mashiro chirped from behind Kensei.

"We are all aware you can stay hollowfied for a period of at least eighteen hours, now shut it." Kensei huffed in annoyance.

Several moments of silence passed with no more questions being asked before it was broken by the booming voice of Yamamoto.

"Are there any more questions for our new allies?"

Each person in the room shook their head in response to the head captain's inquiry.

"Very well… Lieutenant Matsumoto, if you would now inform every one of your idea." Yamamoto said.

"Yes!" Matsumoto chirped, causing Hitsugaya to sigh, he just knew he wasn't going to like this.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room **_

"Why is it that we're all just standing here?" Grimmjow asked to no one in particular.

"Because Lord Aizen ordered us to gather here." Ulquiorra answered in an emotionless tone.

"Tch." Grimmjow scoffed though weather that was because of the waiting or because he disliked Ulquiorra's answer was unknown.

"Ichigo has returned and everyone is here so that we may hear his report of the situation." Aizen stated, clarifying his reasoning.

'_I hope he didn't get hurt.' _Nel thought with worry, happy that at least she now knew Ichigo had returned alive.

"Did Halibel and Zommari return with him as well?" Starrk asked, noticing that Aizen had left that part out.

"Halibel is indeed with him, but Zommari is not." Aizen answered, prompting Starrk to inwardly frown though he kept an emotionless demeanor as usual. Many of the others widened their eyes slightly but only one of them bothered to ask a question on the matter.

"So does that mean…" Lilynette began to ask, clearly saddened in some manner.

"Yes, unfortunately that is the case. However, oddly enough, Ichigo is returning with a third member in his party." Aizen stated, confusing everyone present.

"Who would he…" Starrk said before the creaking of the throne rooms doors cut him off mid-sentence.

"Ah, Ichigo… welcome back." Aizen greeted as Ichigo and company walked through the doors to the throne room.

"Ichigo!" Nelliel cried as she noticed Ichigo's uniform was bloodied and torn where he had taken the attack for Halibel.

"I'm fine Nel, the wound healed quickly." Ichigo reassured, unfortunately not succeeding in calming Nel.

"Who the hell is that?" Grimmjow asked rudely, referring to the female Vasto Lorde who stood at Ichigo's side.

"I will explain everything in a minute, Grimmjow." Ichigo replied as he walked up in front of the throne.

"Tell us what you experienced in the Menos Forest Ichigo." Aizen ordered.

"A hollow who called himself Straga had gathered up a large amount of Vasto Lordes under his command and was apparently preparing to destroy Las Noches with an army of hollows. Long story short, he is now dead, as are his most ardent supporters." Ichigo replied.

"And what about Zommari?" Lilynette asked, making Ichigo visibly frown.

"He… he was taken out by their leader when we were ambushed. He was capable of firing an attack that couldn't be sensed, and that was what made him deadly." Ichigo answered.

"How many Vasto Lordes did he gather?" Starrk asked.

"In total, I counted several dozen." Ichigo stated, surprising everyone present at the number of powerful hollow that had gathered.

"Most were immature and of little threat to any arrancar of rank twenty or below. My guess was that they were force-fed weaker hollows to quicken their transformation. I see no other way that so many of a rare breed of hollow could gather so quickly." Ichigo explained.

"And the girl…" Gin trailed off, clearly amused.

"Oh… she was a savant of the hollow I defeated, she has asked to serve under me… which brings me to a request I have for you, Lord Aizen." Ichigo said.

"You desire to turn her into an arrancar and take her in as your fraccion?" Aizen guessed, getting a nod from Ichigo as a response.

'_This seems to be a good opportunity to see how exactly the Hogyoku reacts to his spiritual energy.' _Aizen thought, seeing an opportunity to reveal more information regarding Ichigo's spiritual energy.

"Very well Ichigo… however I would ask that you be the one to administer the arrancarization process." Aizen stated, confusing Ichigo, and many others, beyond belief. Many knew that the Hogyoku was the key to Aizen's plans and he would never let anyone else touch it, let alone look at the thing without him being present.

'_What are you getting at Lord Aizen?' _Gin wondered, curious as to why Aizen would let another being access the powers of the Hogyoku.

"How exactly do I do that?" Ichigo asked, himself not knowing quite how arrancar were "created" in the first place, though he made a mental note to ask how he was created given what he remembered.

"With this…." Aizen began as he took the Hogyoku out of his jacket pocket.

"The Hogyoku will allow her to become a perfect arrancar." Aizen continued before using flash step to appear before Ichigo.

Ichigo took the purple sphere in his hand and gave it a calculating stare, as if trying to discern what power it held.

'_This things spiritual energy seems familiar… but I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore.' _Ichigo thought as he stared into the tiny purple orb.

"Ichigo…" Aizen said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Ichigo asked absentmindedly.

"Simply place the Hogyoku in front of her and focus your spiritual pressure into the sphere, this will allow the Hogyoku to become fully awakened for a brief time. At that moment, focus on the concept of turning her into an arrancar. Once that is done, the process will be complete." Aizen explained.

'_Here goes… well, something.' _Ichigo thought grasped the Hogyoku and outstretched his hand towards Risha.

As Ichigo focused his spiritual energy into the Hogyoku, a bright purple light could be seen emanating from the palm of his hand, flaring sporadically as energy continued to pour into it.

The purple spiritual energy encased Risha in a dome of purple, flashing briefly before dissipating into the air, revealing a newly created arrancar where the armored Vasto Lorde once stood.

Halibel immediately walked up to Risha and placed the cloak Aizen had given her and Ichigo on her back, allowing her to cover herself after the transformation. For the brief moment she was able to be seen, no mask fragment was present, though the lack of a hollow hole was what had been Aizen's interest at the moment.

In place of the armor that once covered her body, was now white flawless skin. Her face could now be seen unobstructed, and her hair was no longer restricted to flowing from the back of her skull. Directly in front of her lay a slightly smaller than normal zanpakuto with a purple grip. The blade was curved more so than a normal sword, giving it the appearance of blade designed for speed in its strikes and maneuverability.

"How do you feel Risha?" Ichigo asked, hoping that he had not messed up the transformation process.

"I feel naked without my armor." Risha replied in a serious voice, causing Ichigo to facepalm.

"I know the feeling." Halibel said, referring to her high rise collar and mast fragment.

"Risha is it?" Aizen asked, interjecting in the conversation.

"That is my name." Risha replied, prompting Aizen to nod.

"Do you possess a hollow hole?" Aizen questioned in all seriousness.

"No, I do not." Risha replied, surprising many present. It seemed that Ichigo's spiritual energy created something slightly different than a normal arrancar as far as appearances go. No mask fragment, and no hollow hole, this made her very unique, which left many questions unanswered.

'_This is indeed interesting…' _Aizen thought, becoming more and more curious about what the implications of this phenomenon were.

"Care to prove it?" Nnoitora lewdly asked.

Immediately after Nnoitora asked this, Ichigo along with Halibel and several others in the room glared at the vulgar Espada as he along with Grimmjow and Yammy began to cackle like hyenas.

"If we're done here, I need to change, as does my fraccion." Ichigo stated as he turned to leave the throne room.

"Don't leave now or you'll end up missing the surprise." Gin said in an upbeat tone, grinning from ear to ear as per his usual expression.

'_Surprise?' _Ichigo wondered, being slightly creped out at the smile Gin sported as he finished his sentence.

"Is it normal for that man's face to look like that?" Risha questioned, making Gin face fault.

Several chuckles could be heard due to her comment. Even Tosen opted to laugh, though Risha appeared to be completely serious.

"Oh that's right, you two don't know yet…" Nnoitora said in a downtrodden tone, as if not looking forward to this "surprise".

"Care to explain?" Ichigo asked, becoming impatient.

"We're going to have a…" Grimmjow said in an annoyed tone.

_**Soul Society: Captain's Meeting Room **_

"…a day at the beach?" Hiyori deadpanned, obviously not finding the idea alluring.

"Indeed, all captains and lieutenants are required to attend with the exception of squad twelve's captain, the captain and lieutenant of squad one, along with the lieutenants of squad's nine and three, who will be needed to maintain order in their divisions due to obvious reasons." Yamamoto explained.

"The purpose of this is to take the mind off of recent events and take some time to relax." Matsumoto added in an upbeat tone.

'_I… hate… the… heat!' _Hitsugaya thought angrily, not looking forward to a day at the beach.

"How exactly will we be able to enjoy a day at the beach in the world of the living?" Hitsugaya asked, trying to find any way to avoid the trip, or at least prolong it.

"I have asked Kisuke Urahara to construct a Gigai for everyone who will be attending." Yamamoto explained, making the young prodigy sigh.

"I would like to extend this invitation to the vizards as well as Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin." Yamamoto stated.

"No way I'm goin." Hiyori scoffed.

"Perhaps another time." Hachi said respectfully.

"Not in a million years." Kensei sneered.

"Sorry, don't like sand." Mashiro apologized.

"No thanks." Love replied.

"That goes for me as well." Rose stated.

"So that's a no from us head captain." Shinji said.

"What of you two?" Yamamoto asked, referring to Urahara and Yoruichi.

"May as well go if I'm making everyone a Gigai." Urahara reasoned.

"I'd love to." Yoruichi replied happily.

'_Hopefully this will take my mind off of Ichigo.' _Yoruichi silently hoped, her thoughts being mimicked by Soifon who was still concerned for her former teacher.

"I would recommend we ask Ichigo Kurosaki's human friends to join us as well." Unohana suggested.

"That's a great idea Retsu." Kyoraku stated, believing that Ichigo's friends of all people were probably the worst off in this situation and could benefit greatly from a little relaxation.

"Then we are in agreement, once the Gigai are prepared we shall rent out a beach for everyone to enjoy." Yamamoto stated.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"This has been one long day." Ichigo sighed as he entered his room and walked towards his balcony.

"Hopeful Risha isn't too out of her element." Ichigo thought aloud as he leaned on the railing of his balcony and stared out into the faux desert below.

"I'm sure she will be fine Ichigo." A calm feminine voice replied from the doorway.

"Something the matter…" Ichigo said as he turned to face the source of the voice.

"…Halibel?" Ichigo asked.

"I came here to ask you something." Halibel stated as Ichigo began to walk closer to her.

"Ask away." Ichigo said as he stopped in front of the female Espada.

"Why?" Haliblel questioned, curiosity evident in her tone. Her question though, only succeeded in confusing Ichigo.

"Meaning…" Ichigo trailed off, giving Halibel the signal to finish her question.

"Why did you sacrifice yourself to save me when we were in the Menos Forest? Why risk your own life for my sake?" Halibel asked, somewhat to Ichigo's surprise due to the urgency of her tone.

"I don't know about risking my life… I was pretty certain that the attack would only temporarily injure me." Ichigo said before Halibel cut him off.

"That does not answer my question." Halibel said with conviction, dead set on getting a real reason.

"I… I really can't explain why I did what I did. I just felt the overwhelming need to protect you from something that could kill you. Since I've started remembering my past this overwhelming instinct to protect those close to me just started to spiral out of control." Ichigo replied. Halbiel picked up the words 'protect' and 'close to me' and that made her smile, though she continued her inquiry despite this.

"What if you had died Ichigo?" Halibel asked, causing Ichigo to adopt an expression of serious thought.

A moment of silence passed between the two as Ichigo gave serious consideration to her words, thinking of what exactly he should say.

"If I had died…" Ichigo began, staring deeply into Halibel's eyes with his own.

"Then I would have died knowing I was able to save your life… and that is all that matters." Ichigo continued, causing Halibel to smile under her high rise collar.

"I see…" Halibel said as she began to unzip her jacket, revealing her face to be without its mask fragment and an affectionate smile gracing her features. Her appearance was that of when she had woken up inside the cave during their mission.

"What are you…" Ichigo said before Halibel silenced him by placing her finger on his lips.

"Thanking you…" Halibel began, removing her finger form his lips as she moved her face closer to Ichigo's.

"…for saving my life." Halibel said before she captured Ichigo's lips with her own and began to kiss him.

Ichigo simply stood with tensed muscles and wide eyes for a moment as Halibel continued to kiss him.

'_Never thought she felt this way.' _Ichigo thought as he gradually worked his way into the kiss.

After about a minute into the kiss, Ichigo tilted his head and deepened it, eliciting a throaty moan from Halibel. The two brought their hands around the other, Ichigo finding her hips, and Halibel throwing her hands around his neck as they continued kissing each other with genuine affection.

'_I can feel my heart racing.' _Halibel thought with excitement before her moment with Ichigo was interrupted. She was confused at the concept, but she enjoyed it too much to care.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO LADY HALIBEL?!" Apacci and Mila Rose screamed from the doorway.

**A/N Next Chapter will be posted on Tuesday**

_**Explanations:**_

**Risha**: Her back-story will be revealed in the future, and yes she will be Ichigo's fraccion. In general, she mirrors Halibel in many ways, and she is close to her in power, though Halibel is stronger. Also, the reason she is so strong will also be revealed soon, because she isn't really supposed to be ridiculously strong.

**Daga Oculta**: It is Spanish for "hidden dagger" and it is an attack of my own creation. In general, Risha is an assassin-type fighter and is incredibly fast, precise, and deadly. The attack itself is very similar to Halibel's Ola Azul, only the patter of the attack is more precise and it has another ability that wont be revealed until later.

**Halibel's Powers**: As I said before, she and Starrk are like Ichigo and can do, more or less, the same things that he can in terms of firing off a specific type of cero without restriction.

**The End of the Chapter**: I just picture Halibel as doing something this bold, she just seems like a driven character and I figured it would make for a good moment all things considered. She doesn't "love" Ichigo, by the way, but she does like him, as in _likes _him.

**Ichigo Not Calling Out Aizen after Returning to Las Noches**: To be honest, it was more he is tired, his clothes are bloody, and he has a new fraccion. Given that he doesn't really have a big reason not to trust Aizen yet, it's at the back of his list of things to do.

**The Beach Day**: It will be coming within the next five chapters, I have other stuff happen first, but no, the vizards will not be going.

**The Hogyoku**: It will always have this effect if used by Ichigo, that doesn't mean he will be its master, but I know for a fact that it doesn't fuse with Aizen until the winter war happens, as in the fight over fake Karakura. The Hogyoku plays a big role in this story, but what that is will be revealed soon enough.

_**Reviews**_

**QuasWexQuas**: Hope you liked the moments in this chapter, sorry to hear that but I don't make you wait… too long… ^^

**awesomeness4286**: He did whoop ass, and Halibel has "officially" been the first to put her bid in for Ichigo, or at least the first that he knows of. His inability to think about things like how many women are bidding for his attention is going to be something I will play with in this story… a lot.

**darkmachines**: Hopefully I didn't disappoint and also, thank you.

**Kiwifan7**: Thanks, and that little bit isn't too, too far off.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Yes, but it's not just her that will react… ;)

**cabelism**: Glad to hear it!

**BleachFan21**: Thanks, hope I can deliver.

**Gman123**: LOL :)))))

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks, also again, thank you for the offer, but I already have all the OC's planned out for this story. In the future, I might ask you though, so I appreciate knowing you have some.

**The Unknown Shinigami**: Now you know… sort of at least.

**sami217**: I will show what happened to them, but not specifically until the sequel, though I will explain it when I get there, so don't worry. Also, hope it wasn't a letdown.

**friaku**: Thanks, your compliments mean a lot to me, also I hope the appearance was all it was cracked up to be.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, more of it in this chapter. Also, yeah I picture Ichigo being exactly that dense, but it was practically a death wish. Risha's past will also be revealed in the near future, but exactly why she was defeated and what she had to do won't be revealed for a little bit.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Yup!

**Arawn D. Draven**: Yes, also thank you!

**Fire0770**: Now you know, also you were close with the manga thing, just wait until the future, you'll see why I said this… eventually.

**Arrankor**: Thanks, also the intimidation part was also a factor.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, glad to hear it and hope you like my OC's 3.

**Guest(1)**: Yes it is overkill, and no Gin and Rangiku don't know they each had the idea at the same time, and that is the irony.

**voidblade6**: Thanks, also yes his second release is incredibly powerful.

**Lord Of Nothing**: Thanks, but this story is rated T, so I don't think for this story I will add lemon, but for the sequel, maybe, it really depends…

**Dp11**: Glad to hear you liked it, it was, and he will.

**Sentiment Remains**: Glad to hear it, and thanks!


	26. Answers

**A/N Well, here is Chapter 26, and I will be posting the next chapter on Friday. Why? Because I can...**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 26 **

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"This has been one long day." Ichigo sighed as he entered his room and walked towards his balcony.

"Hopeful Risha isn't too out of her element." Ichigo thought aloud as he leaned on the railing of his balcony and stared out into the faux desert below.

"I'm sure she will be fine Ichigo." A calm feminine voice replied from the doorway.

"Something the matter…" Ichigo said as he turned to face the source of the voice.

"…Halibel?" Ichigo asked.

"I came here to ask you something." Halibel stated as Ichigo began to walk closer to her.

"Ask away." Ichigo said as he stopped in front of the female Espada.

"Why?" Haliblel questioned, curiosity evident in her tone. Her question though, only succeeded in confusing Ichigo.

"Meaning…" Ichigo trailed off, giving Halibel the signal to finish her question.

"Why did you sacrifice yourself to save me when we were in the Menos Forest? Why risk your own life for my sake?" Halibel asked, somewhat to Ichigo's surprise due to the urgency of her tone.

"I don't know about risking my life… I was pretty certain that the attack would only temporarily injure me." Ichigo said before Halibel cut him off.

"That does not answer my question." Halibel said with conviction, dead set on getting a real reason.

"I… I really can't explain why I did what I did. I just felt the overwhelming need to protect you from something that could kill you. Since I've started remembering my past this overwhelming instinct to protect those close to me just started to spiral out of control." Ichigo replied. Halbiel picked up the words 'protect' and 'close to me' and that made her smile, though she continued her inquiry despite this.

"What if you had died Ichigo?" Halibel asked, causing Ichigo to adopt an expression of serious thought.

A moment of silence passed between the two as Ichigo gave serious consideration to her words, thinking of what exactly he should say.

"If I had died…" Ichigo began, staring deeply into Halibel's eyes with his own.

"Then I would have died knowing I was able to save your life… and that is all that matters." Ichigo continued, causing Halibel to smile under her high rise collar.

"I see…" Halibel said as she began to unzip her jacket, revealing her face to be without its mask fragment and an affectionate smile gracing her features. Her appearance was that of when she had woken up inside the cave during their mission.

"What are you…" Ichigo said before Halibel silenced him by placing her finger on his lips.

"Thanking you…" Halibel began, removing her finger form his lips as she moved her face closer to Ichigo's.

"…for saving my life." Halibel said before she captured Ichigo's lips with her own and began to kiss him.

Ichigo simply stood with tensed muscles and wide eyes for a moment as Halibel continued to kiss him.

'_Never thought she felt this way.' _Ichigo thought as he gradually worked his way into the kiss.

After about a minute into the kiss, Ichigo tilted his head and deepened it, eliciting a throaty moan from Halibel. The two brought their hands around the other, Ichigo finding her hips, and Halibel throwing her hands around his neck as they continued kissing each other with genuine affection.

'_I can feel my heart racing.' _Halibel thought with excitement before her moment with Ichigo was interrupted. She was confused at the concept, but she enjoyed it too much to care.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO LADY HALIBEL?!" Apacci and Mila Rose screamed from the doorway.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room (Several Minutes Prior) **_

"Before you leave…" Aizen began after Ichigo had left the room.

"I would like to ask you how your spiritual energy became so dense at the level of a Vasto Lordes. It isn't normal for a being of that level to possess such power." Aizen continued, making Risha nod in response.

She was perfectly aware that she should not have been that strong and figured that she would have to explain a few things, though how she went about it was going to be difficult.

"If you want to know the answer to that, I suppose I could tell you… but, I can't say it will make sense to you." Risha stated.

"Try me." Aizen dryly replied.

"Very well… several months ago, Straga, the hollow that I previously served, found out about the arrancar and about you…" Risha began, causing Aizen to raise a brow.

"More than anything, he despised you. He disliked the fact that you were a Soul Reaper who claimed to rule over hollows." Risha continued.

'_He isn't the only one…_' Barragan thought annoyedly.

"But he was well aware that he was nowhere near as powerful as you were, so he set out to gain an army of Vasto Lordes, praying that the strength of that army would be enough… but he soon discovered that he couldn't gather the army due to your having control over the Menos Forest, and that's when he came…" Risha stated, gaining Aizen's curiosity.

"He?" Gin inquired, curious as to who or what she was referring to.

"A man found Straga along with myself and Minos, a hollow that also served him. How he did, I do not know, but his spiritual energy was great, easily that of an arrancar that is slightly below the Espada. When he found us, he said he would give Straga power in exchange for an alliance with him should he obtain his goals." Risha explained.

"Can you describe this man and how he fulfilled his promise?" Aizen questioned, genuintly confused as to who it could be, let alone how they would manage to "give" power to a hollow.

"He was clad in a white buttoned vest, had black boots, and had a very distinguishable hat with some kind of symbol on its front. As for how he did it, I don't remember, after I woke he was gone and his promise was fulfilled." Risha replied, making Aizen frown.

'_A man clad in white…_' Aizen repeated again and again in his head. He may not know for certain who this person served or who they were, but he had an idea, and that made him frown. One-Thousand years just goes by so quickly when you're scheming.

"I see… Ulquiorra, please take her to her room so that she may get situated." Aizen requested.

"Follow me." Ulquiorra ordered before walking out of the throne room, Risha in toe.

After them, Halibel left the room, which didn't go unnoticed by her fraccion.

"Where's she going?" Apacci asked to no one in particular.

"I believe she is going to see Ichigo." Sung-Sun guessed.

"Well the, let's go." Apacci said. Mila Rose nodded in agreement but Sung-Sun grabbed both of them by their arm and halted their path.

"Do you think that wise?" Sung-Sun asked, though it was less of a question and more of a warning.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Apacci questioned back before walking off, Mila Rose in toe.

'_I suppose I should stop them… but this has too much potential._' Sung-Sun thought before she herself walked out of the throne room.

"Lord Aizen…" Gin called, noticing that Aizen appeared deep in thought.

"Yes Gin?" Aizen asked, though his expression of deep thought did not vanish.

"Are you alright? You seem troubled." Tosen observed.

"It's nothing Gin… just a hunch, nothing more." Aizen replied.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room (Current Time) **_

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO LADY HALIBEL?!" Apacci and Mila Rose screamed from the doorway.

The abrupt scream caused Ichigo and Halibel to break apart instantaneously with traces of red gracing their cheeks due to their recent activities.

"Do you need something?" Ichigo asked as the enraged fraccion got up close and personal to him.

"What's the big idea?!" The two shouted simultaneously, causing Ichigo to hold up his hands in an attempt to get them to calm down.

"Ladies…" Sung-Sung called as if trying to warn them.

"Who do you think you are?!" Apacci exclaimed.

"Ladies…" Sung-Sun called in a louder voice, her voice seemingly urgent.

"What gives you the right to touch her?!" Mila Rose yelled in an agitated voice.

"Ladies!" Sung-Sun practically screamed.

"WHAT SUNG-SUN?!" The two fraccion roared as they turned to face their comrade.

Sung-Sun was seemingly pointing at someone or something with her sleeve covering her mouth as it usually did.

Apacci and Mila Rose instantly moved their eyes towards what Sung-Sun was pointing at, only to grimace at what they saw.

Their gaze landed on Halibel, who was giving them a death glare that would freeze over hell. Needless to say, she was not pleased.

"Uhhhhhh…L-Lady H-Halibel?" Apacci stuttered out, seemingly paralyzed with fear.

"Do you three need something?" Halibel asked heatedly.

'_For your sakes I pray you do.' _Halibel thought as her frustration began to get the better of her.

"W-We… ummmm." Apacci said sheepishly. If she could come up with a good excuse, now would be a good time, sadly, for her, none popped into her head, though Halibel gave her several seconds to reply.

"They do not need anything Lady Halibel, nor do I." Sung-Sun replied, herself shocked at how angered her mistress appeared to be at the moment, though she didn't show it. At her words, Halibel's glare intensified and she cringed, albeit slightly.

"Excuse me Ichigo. I need to speak with my fraccion for the time being." Halibel said in an annoyed tone as she zipped up her high rise collar.

'_We're so dead.' _Apacci and Mila Rose thought similarly as Halibel began dragging the two out of the room.

'_What'd I do?' _Sung-Sun thought as she followed her mistress and her fellow fraccion out of the door.

"That was strange." Ichigo thought aloud before he shut his door.

"I'm beat." Ichigo said with a yawn before crashing on his bed.

The strain of using his Segunda Etapa had tired him to the point that he almost immediately fell into a deep sleep. The form was powerful, that was easily discernible, but how long he could use that much power without straining himself too much was the big question.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room **_

"So would you two care to explain your outburst?" Halibel asked in an annoyed tone.

"You'll have to excuse these two Lady Halibel, after all it's not every day they walk in on their mistress in the company of a man." Sung-Sun replied, smirking behind her sleeve as she brought it to cover her face.

"Yeah, since when did you two get so close?" Apacci asked, though she was met with Halibel's glare.

"What I do, and with whom I do it with, is none of your business. You are my fraccion, not my watchdogs." Halibel stated in her usual calm tone.

"B-but Ichigo…" Apacci started before being cut off.

"…is someone who appears to make Lady Halibel happy." Sung-Sun said, finishing Apacci's sentence before she could say something she would regret.

She may take any opportunity she could get to mess with her fellow fraccion, but there were some instances where she would just feel she needed to intervene or she may lose the pleasure of aggravating her in the future due to her existence coming to an end.

"Is this true Lady Halibel?" Mila Rose asked in a slightly surprised tone.

The blond Espada said nothing and closed her eyes, seemingly out of mild embarrassment, before someone spoke out on the issue.

"If what I saw was any indication, she may wish to make Ichigo her mate." Sung-Sun observed, immediately causing Apacci and Mila Rose to become spastic.

"WHAT?!" The two shouted simultaneously. At Sung-Sun's statement, Halibel's blush became visible on the top of her cheeks where her high rise collar ended.

"Don't say such stupid things Sung-Sun. Enjoying someone's company is one thing but that is entirely another." Mila Rose stated, quickly regaining her composure in the presence of her master.

"As if Lady Halibel would ever request something like that." Apacci added, equally as distraught with Sung-Sun's observation.

"Am I correct in my assumption Lady Halibel?" Sung-Sun asked, bringing all eyes to their mistress.

'_Wait… can she actually want to… no that's not possible.' _Apacci thought as she noticed how flustered her mistress appeared at the question.

"You are not entirely wrong Sung-Sun. However, it is still none of your business and I would prefer if you three would not inquire on this subject further." Halibel chided, half-expecting Apacci and Mila Rose to have a conniption.

"But Lady Halibel…" Apacci and Mila Rose began simultaneously.

Before the two could continue their protests, Sung-Sun slapped her hands over their mouths in order to silence them

'_They just won't learn…_' Sung-Sun thought.

"We'll be going now Lady Halibel." Sung-Sun stated before using sonido to take herself, Mila Rose, and Apacci out of the room.

'_I have a feeling this will not be the last I hear of this from those three.' _Halibel thought, knowing her fraccion all too well.

_**Ichigo's Dreamscape **_

Ichigo woke within his dream to find himself inside some shop within the confines of Karakura Town. He found it ironic that he knew the name of the town, but didn't know the name of the shop.

'_This room is familiar.' _Ichigo thought as he recalled sleeping in this very room for prolonged periods of time, but for what reason he hadn't the slightest clue.

'_I know I didn't live here but why is it I still can't remember this place?' _Ichigo wondered as he walked out of the door and down the stairs.

"Good morning Ichigo." A redheaded girl chirped from the kitchen as he arrived downstairs.

"Morning." Ichigo greeted absentmindedly.

"Hey Ichigo." A muscular tanned-skin boy greeted from the couch.

"Kurosaki." The boy with glasses greeted from his seat in the common area.

Then it clicked, Ichigo realized something was off with this situation.

'_This is very strange… first I'm practically invisible and now they seem to be able to see me.' _Ichigo thought as he took a seat on the couch next to the large muscular boy that had greeted him moments ago.

"So Ichigo, what are you doing today?" The red head asked in her characteristic peppy tone.

"Ummm… I guess I don't really know." Ichigo replied.

"How does one 'guess' whether or not they know something?" The boy with glasses asked in a condescending manner.

"Come on Uryu, don't be like that on such a nice day." The redhead lightly chided.

'_Uryu… Uryu Ishida…' _Ichigo thought as he remembered the intelligent Quincy that had fought by his side since he invaded the Seireitei. Intelligent or not, he specifically rememberd why he had the urge to punch him in his previous recollections.

"Just pointing out Kurosaki's mistakes, you got what I meant, right Chad?" Uryu questioned the large muscular man that was sitting on the couch.

'_Chad…' _Ichigo thought as the memory of helping Chad out when thugs were after his coin passed through his mind as he heard the name. After that incident with the medallion, they were like brothers, something that he didn't take very lightly.

"I agree with Orihime…" Chad said, immediately before whatever form of memory or dream this was immediately froze.

That's when it hit him. The memory of her brother being turned into a hollow and nearly killing her, the memory of her accompanying him to the Soul Society, how her powers worked, but that wasn't all.

'_Orihime…' _Ichigo thought moments before his current location faded away and he found himself in the throne room of Las Noches.

"Why am I here?" Ichigo wondered aloud before he began to look around.

'_Aizen?' _Ichigo wondered as he looked up to the throne to see Aizen. A moment later his sight was brought to the forms of himself alongside Orihime standing front and center, as if speaking to Aizen.

'_How is it that this time I'm not part of… whatever this is?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw himself once more, in an apparent memory.

A moment later the sound of Orihime's voice stirred Ichigo from his thoughts.

"_Ichigo Kurosaki… you are my heart… I love you._" Orihime quietly said before, bringing her lips to meet Ichigo's in a soft kiss.

"_You don't have to say anything…in fact it may be better if you don't considering the fact that we may not see each other for such a long time._" Orihime whispered sadly before taking her head off of Ichigo's chest and looking into his eyes one last time.

"_Be safe Ichigo… just please be safe._" Orihime said before walking towards Tosen, who had opened up a Garganta.

A moment later Orihime walked through the large black hole that appeared in the throne room which subsequently bolted itself shut before his eyes.

The scene before him froze as the Garganta disappeared, leaving Ichigo to absorb what he had just witnessed, be it a memory, or some form of dream.

"I remember… I made a deal with Aizen… for her safety…" Ichigo remembered as he felt his heart ache slightly. Even if he didn't know how he felt, knowing how she felt was something that was like a dagger to his soul considering that all this time, he hadn't

The surrounding began to crumble before him, creating a tremor beneath Ichigo's feet as the scenery changed once more.

"Great, where am I now?" Ichigo asked rhetorically as he found himself in the middle of a cemetery.

'_This place… its somewhere in Karakura town.' _Ichigo realized as he began to walk around the seemingly deserted cemetery.

'_Are they who I think they are?' _Ichigo wondered upon seeing the figures of his himself, his father, and his sisters walking to a very specific location.

"_Karin, Yuzu come on already._" The human form of Ichigo ordered halfheartedly as he walked up to a particular tombstone with his hands in his pockets.

"_Hold on Ichigo._" Karin exclained as she along with the others arrived next to Ichigo.

"_What took you so long?_" Ichigo asked nonchalantly.

"Had _to drag dad up here after he fell down the hill… you know, tradition._" Karin joked, eliciting a light chuckle from Ichigo and a giggle from Yuzu.

"_That's the spirit girls!_" Isshin said in his usual goofy tone.

'_Why does he have roses?' _Ichigo wondered as he observed the four walking towards a specific grave.

Isshin laid the roses over the ground directly in front of the tombstone and developed a look which was a mix of saddened and somber. Needless to say this confused Ichigo slightly and had the added effect of raising his curiosity.

The moment froze before him once more as Ichigo walked up to the grave to see who it was, though he had a pretty good idea at this point.

"Here lies Masaki Kurosaki…" Ichigo read from the tombstone before a bright light flashed, ending his sequence of memories.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

'_I wonder when I will start to remember pleasant things.' _Ichigo thought as his eyes slowly fluttered began to flutter open and he prepared to exit his deep sleep.

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw a pair of pure purple eyes in-between his rapid blinking.

Risha was now standing over his bed and hovering directly over his body, her face inches from his own.

"Gah!" Ichigo exclaimed as he rolled off the bed.

"Is something the matter Lord Ichigo?" Risha questioned in an emotionless tone, though she was confused as to why Ichigo had rolled off the bed.

"Why the hell were you doing that?!" Ichigo shouted as he recovered from his practical heart attack.

"I wished to see if you were indeed asleep." Risha replied as if the answer was obvious.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me lord." Ichigo added, catching that little quirk of Risha's.

"My mistake, master." Risha replied in a respectful tone, causing a tick mark to appear on Ichigo's forehead.

"For the last time, I'm not your master, and I am no lord, just call me Ichigo." Ichigo said, maintaining his calm with his new fraccion.

"If that is what my master wishes." Risha replied as she gave a slight bow to Ichigo.

'_I can't catch a break.' _Ichigo thought as he released a tired sigh. That's when he realized it, or more specifically, her.

Risha's had flawless white skin, hair as black as night, and currently wore a white version of what was unmistakably a Stealth Force Uniform, which hugged her body and emphasized her figure. Her captivating purple eyes were more defined due to her clothes, and her hair now fell freely, resting in her shoulders and extending to the middle of her back. Many things about her reminded Ichigo of people he had seen in his memories, but he decided to ignore those thoughts at the moment.

"You really should lighten up Ichigo…" A feminine voice came from the door, brining Ichigo's attention towards her.

"…even my fraccion call me lady, or master, or mistress. It seems to be a force of habit." Nel stated as she walked towards Ichigo.

"I assume you need to talk to me?" Ichigo asked as he finally got up from the floor and dusted himself off.

"I do, but I also came to speak to Risha and welcome her to Las Noches." Nel replied, turning her head to Risha as she finished.

"Thank you Lady Nelliel, your welcome is most appreciated." Risha replied emotionlessly, causing Nel to sweat drop.

'_Okay, I'll admit that could get annoying…' _Nel thought, noticing how robotic Risha appeared in speech and demeanor.

"Risha, do you think you could give me a minute to speak with Ichigo here?" Nel asked politely, almost too politely.

Risha only nodded her head before exiting the room, leaving Nel and Ichigo to talk.

"She seems very…" Nel trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe Ichigo's fraccion.

"Emotionless? Calculated? Robotic?" Ichigo listed off as Nel tapped her chin in thought.

"Yes, but in a good way." Nel replied, releasing a small chuckle due to herself not being able to find a better description. Her mood almost immediately changed after she recalled the reason she had come to Ichigo's room, and that was _not_ good for Ichigo.

"So what is it you wanted to talk…" Ichigo said before he was met with Nel's glare.

"…about?" Ichigo finished, looking at Nel with a confused expression on his face.

"You really shouldn't have been that careless in the Menos Forest." Nel chastised, causing Ichigo to grow slightly confused.

"What if you had been killed?" Nel asked with worry in her voice, almost hesitant to ask the question.

'_She's obviously upset… what is it with female arrancar?' _Ichigo wondered as he held his hands up defensively and motioned her to settle down.

"Nel, I didn't die, and would not have. The reason I was injured was because I saved Halibel from an attack." Ichigo explained, though he was met with skepticism.

"I'm so glad to hear that you'd readily give your life for her sake." Nel said in a sarcastic tone.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Nel asked heatedly.

'_Okay… in hindsight that was a bad excuse.' _Ichigo thought as he noticed that Nel was shooting him a death glare. He made a mental note to learn what not to say when trying to comfort someone, specifically a female that was capable of causing him bodily harm.

'_I didn't actually know she could do that. In fact, if she and Halibel ever decided to glare at me in unison I may have to tear out my eyes.' _Ichigo mused, finding a bit of humor in the situation though he decided not to make it apparent less he make Nel even more agitated.

"That question was not rhetorical Ichigo." Nel clarified, her tone still one of agitation.

"Nel…" Ichigo began in a low comforting voice.

"I didn't mean to make you worry… for that I am truly sorry." Ichigo apologized, causing Nel to instantly drop her death glare and give Ichigo a small smile.

"If it helps, I would gladly risk my life for you ask well." Ichigo added, prompting Nel to capture him in an embrace.

"It does help Ichigo… in fact it means a lot to me." Nel replied as she tightened her grip on the orange-haired Primera.

Several minutes passed as Ichigo just held Nel in his arms affectionately and comforted her, making her feel as if all was well with the world.

"Ichigo…" Nel began in a voice just above a whisper, effectively breaking the silence.

"Yes Nel?" Ichigo asked, bringing his head back so he could look at Nel directly.

"I need you to promise me something." Nel stated in a tone of finality.

'_Something I should get used to.' _Ichigo thought, having recalled he had done the same thing for Halibel a moment ago.

"I want you to promise me… that no matter what… you will come back to me… alive." Nel said slowly as she stared directly into Ichigo's visible brown eye, and his obstructed one.

"Nelliel… I promise that I will always return alive no matter what." Ichigo promised, mimicking Nel's action by looking her in the eye.

No sooner than Ichigo had said this Nel captured Ichigo's lips in a soft kiss. Though it only lasted for a moment, it felt as if time itself had frozen for this moment, something Ichigo was quite familiar with by now due to the manner in which his memories chose to return.

"I just can't stay mad at you can I?" Nel sighed as she rested her head on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Thankfully for me… no, otherwise I think I'd need a lot more than instant regeneration." Ichigo joked, causing Nel to giggle and lightly hit his chest.

"I'm not that scary am I?" Nel asked in her usual cheery voice.

"Never to me Nel… never to me." Ichigo replied, prompting Nel to tighten her grip on his for a brief moment before releasing him.

'_Except for when you're mad.' _Ichigo added in thought.

"I need to speak with Aizen for a moment." Ichigo said in a serious tone, realizing that he needed to find out a few things about the man he had pledged himself to.

Before, all he knew was that Aizen had deliberately not told him about his mother or his past as a Soul Reaper, but now he knew that Aizen had

"What about?" Nel asked with a raised brow, noticing that this had been the first time he had used his name without the title of 'lord' in front of it.

"Nothing of importance." Ichigo lied, though his tone showed no evidence of this.

"But I would like for you to tell Risha she may come back in, though she will have to wait for me to be done." Ichigo added.

Nel nodded at Ichigo a moment before he used sonido in order to speak with Aizen.

_**Las Noches: Chambers of the Hogyoku**_

"Ah Ichigo, what a pleasant surprise." Aizen greeted as Ichigo walked into the room.

"I trust Risha is doing well?" Aizen asked in his usual smooth tone.

"Lord Aizen… I thought I should inform you that I have recalled more of my past." Ichigo said, causing Aizen to raise an eyebrow at Ichigo.

In his mind, Ichigo thought that it would be better to approach this delicately if on the off chance he was wrong in assuming that Aizen didn't have a good reason for doing what he did.

"Specifically what have you remembered?" Aizen asked, slightly believing that this conversation would lead to a confrontation.

"I know I was once a Soul Reaper, I remember several of my friends…" Ichigo began cryptically.

"I remember my father, my sisters, my mother, Chad, Uryu… Orihime." Ichigo listed off, causing Aizen to frown slightly at the mention of Orihime.

"Then are you aware of the circumstances that brought you here?" Aizen asked. Ichigo only shook his head at the question, prompting Aizen to grow deep in thought. Ichigo was clearly lying though, and Aizen knew this.

He was simply trying too hard to feign indifference, which was a tell in it of itself. It then occurred to Aizen that Ichigo could be testing him in some way, but no matter how this conversation would end, Aizen would still have Ichigo stay in Las Noches, one way or another.

'_It was never my intention that he lose his memory… I suppose him hearing from me will ultimately work to my advantage.' _Aizen reasoned before making to speak.

"What is it you want to know?" Aizen questioned.

"Everything." Ichigo replied.

"You were once a Soul Reaper, that is correct. You were in fact a crucial part of my former plan, and became the epicenter once I was forced to modify it." Aizen began, causing Ichigo to grow confused.

"Modified?" Ichigo asked, wanting Aizen to elaborate.

"I had sent Ulquiorra and Yammy to the world of the living in order to ascertain your current state of power. It became apparent that your hollow nature was becoming more dominant faster than I had anticipated. I realized that the most likely reason for this was that in your training with Kisuke Urahara, you awakened a part of you that was actually a hollow, which was something that neither he or I had thought possible. You see… you became a near complete hollow, something that should not have happened unless you were in fact fighting it for control, but the hollow being a part of you would explain why you had not vanished from existence." Aizen explained, though Ichigo only understood bits and pieces due to not having his memory.

"Due to your actions, your friends Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado opted to train in order to become stronger so as to assist you against me. I used this to my advantage by having Orihime Inoue brought here to Las Noches, and kept her as bait to lure you in without having any complications." Aizen said before being cut off.

"I remember Orihime being in the throne room… she told me she loved me and then she was gone… tell me what happened after that." Ichigo requested.

"After that occurred, I had you battle your hollow for supremacy by using the Hogyoku as a catalyst. After you had defeated your hollow you began to revert back, I then used the Hogyoku to trap your hollowfied nature within your being while keeping your humanity in control. However, I had not anticipated your memory loss." Aizen answered.

"So you turned me into a hollow?" Ichigo asked, almost angrily.

"I won't lie, that was what I attempted to do, but I can say with absolute assurance that you are not an arrancar." Aizen stated, making Ichigo confused beyond belief.

"The Hogyoku reacts differently to your spiritual energy than any other being, which was evident by your fraccion along with Starrk and Halibel not possessing a hollow hole and your fraccion also not possessing a mask fragment. Surely by now you are aware that your mask fragment is removable in some way." Aizen replied.

Ichigo's eyes widened for a moment and he receded his mask fragment, proving that Aizen was in fact correct.

"So what am I?" Ichigo questioned, sounding lost on the matter.

"That I cannot say until further thought on the matter, but you are not a mindless beast, your humanity is very much in control." Aizen replied.

"Then why didn't you tell me I used to be a Soul Reaper, used to be human?" Ichigo inquired, using his last line of questioning towards Aizen.

"I didn't tell you because I believed your memories would return, and with them, your humanity and personality. If I had simply told you everything about your life, I risked losing or impeding the process by confusing or angering you in some way." Aizen answered.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Ichigo asked, being genuinely confused.

"I tell you these things because now regardless of what you believe, it was never my intention for you to lose your memory. I offered to keep Orihime Inoue out of harm's way in order to secure your cooperation in the first place and if need be I can easily promise that those others you hold dear will not be harmed." Aizen replied.

"I don't entirely remember everyone… I recall events and certain faces but no concrete names outside my family and my human friends." Ichigo stated, clarifying a few things on Aizen's end.

"Have you recalled the events that placed me as an enemy of the Soul Society, as an enemy of you?" Aizen asked, prompting Ichigo to shake his head.

"When you do remember, you will likely despise me, or at the very least consider me an enemy, but you will find out the reason for why I didn't intend for you to lose your memory in the first place." Aizen continued, making Ichigo confused once more.

'_If he knows that my remembering will make me his enemy, why help me?_' Ichigo wondered. Several things occurred to him.

Aizen had not really hurt anyone he knew, at least that he could remember, which was possibly why he would leave his service in the first place. If that was the case, Ichigo would likely turn on him, but if that was to happen, he would likely go to the Soul Society, but if he did that he may lose an opportunity to help them by possibly lulling Aizen into a false sense of security by feigning loyalty, and if he could get others to turn on him as well, that would just be a bonus.

However, on the off chance that Aizen had actually not done something that would make Ichigo dislike him, which was unlikely at this point, then remaining here in Las Noches would still work towards his advantage. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by Aizen's words.

"And it is my promise that I help you to remember… which I will." Aizen reassured, noticing that Ichigo didn't appear angered.

"If what you said has been the truth thus far…" Ichigo began as he reached into his pocket.

"…then I will give you another chance, who is this?" Ichigo questioned as he opened the watch to reveal the picture of his mother.

"Have you remembered what happened then?" Aizen asked with traces of something that was rarely evident in his voice… pity.

"Then you did lie before about not knowing her." Ichigo stated as he closed the watch and placed it in his jacket pocket once more.

"Since you are no doubt aware of how terrible that experience was, you no doubt see why I didn't wish to tell you before realizing it for yourself." Aizen defended.

"Care to explain your reasoning?" Ichigo asked in an amused tone.

"Certainly… you see, I had determined that regardless of the sorrow that event caused, it helped to form you as a person… believe me when I say that none understand that better than I." Aizen answered.

"As I said before, if I had just told you, I risked you losing your humanity, which was in fact a worry of mine considering you appeared to act differently after losing your memory." Aizen added.

"And my personality makes me valuable to you I imagine?" Ichigo asked, seriously curious by what Aizen had meant.

"I knew before I had brought you here that your colossal growth rate was fueled by your will to protect. That was the reason I had chosen to keep an eye on you." Aizen explained.

"So you really have no issues with me remembering the past? What if I remember other things you have done? Will I then want to turn on you?" Ichigo asked, obviously suspecting that Aizen was responsible for more than he was letting on.

"Ichigo… if you have listened to what I have said, you already know the answer to that." Aizen replied, giving Ichigo his answer.

"Then you still intend to help me regain my memory?" Ichigo asked in order to get confirmation, this time checking for any signs of a lie. Aizen nodded in response, surprising Ichigo by his seeming genuineness.

"Perhaps I can prove that I will keep my word with a gesture of good will… are you aware of what today's date is in the world of the living?" Aizen questioned, prompting Ichigo shake his head.

"Today is the day your mother died, nearly six years ago. I would like to know if you would like to visit her grave." Aizen stated, surprising Ichigo.

For a moment, Ichigo adopted an expression of serious thought. Just because he was suspicious of Aizen didn't mean he couldn't do take an offer like this.

"I want to visit the site of my mother's grave…" Ichigo replied solemnly, the depression in his tone not going unnoticed.

For a brief moment Ichigo could swear he saw Aizen's ever-present smile fade in place of a genuine frown of sorrow.

"Though this will be difficult to accomplish accomplish considering the fact that several high level Soul Reaper's guard the town I would normally not allow this to happen." Aizen replied, prompting Ichito to raise a brow.

"However…" Aizen continued.

"I had assumed you would eventually desire to go to the world of the living. As a result of this suspicion, I had Szayel prepare a more advanced version of the devise you used in the Menos Forest. It is essentially a cloak that completely represses your spiritual energy. You will need to wear it when you depart." Aizen finished, prompting Ichigo to smile.

"Thank you, Lord Aizen." Ichigo thanked, giving a slight bow of appreciation. If he was going to accept the offer, he may as well show he intended to follow his instructions… for now.

"I would ask that Starrk accompany you." Aizen added, confusing Ichigo slightly.

"Why would I need someone else to come with me?" Ichigo asked.

"The cloak you will wear does not allow you to utilize your spiritual energy… therefore you will not be able to release or use anything outside of your blade, your firsts, or simple sonido, which means that in case you run into Soul Reapers you will need someone to help you should events get out of hand, and Starrk is excellent at hiding his spiritual energy." Aizen explained.

Starrk was a curious arrancar, appearing to have more humanity than the others, at least, until Ichigo arrived in Las Noches he was the most human "arracnar". However, Starrk's origins made him the perfect candidate for this assignment, he wouldn't complain and due to the problem he used to have with his spiritual energy, he was rather adept at hiding his presence and on top of that he was incredibly powerful.

'_I suppose it wouldn't hurt…' _Ichigo thought, deciding that visiting his mother's grave on the anniversary of her death was more important.

"Change into the cloak before you leave and let no one see your face during your visit to the world of the living. After you have changed, inform Starrk and be on your way." Aizen ordered as he gave Ichigo the bright white cloak, knowing full well that he was taking a necessary, but very, very calculated, risk.

"Very well." Ichigo replied before using sonido to exit the room.

"Trouble in paradise Lord Aizen?" Gin asked in a teasing manner as he reared his head out from behind a column in the room.

"Eavesdropping again Gin?" Aizen knowingly asked.

"Little ol' me?" Gin asked melodramatically as he pointed his hand to himself in order to feign being offended.

"I do feel the need to ask, what is the method you are going to use to keep him here?" Gin questioned, honestly curious.

"That will be revealed in due time." Aizen replied cryptically, making Gin quirk an eyebrow.

"Regardless of how you intend to keep him here, do you really expect him to fight the Soul Reapers he used to call friends?" Gin asked, hoping that Aizen would at least answer that question.

"He won't have to." Aizen replied before walking off, confusing Gin to no end.

'_What are you planning?_' Gin wondered, being used to Aizen telling him most things about his plans.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Risha." Ichigo called as he appeared in his room via sonido.

"Yes master?" Risha asked from directly behind Ichigo.

"GAH!" Ichigo yelped, Risha having successfully scaring the life out of him.

"Don't… do… that." Ichigo said in-between pants.

"Are you well master?" Risha asked with genuine concern.

"Answer this Risha… how many times have a told you to call me Ichigo?" Ichigo asked rhetorically.

"Counting this one?" Risha inquired, prompting Ichigo to faceplam at her not understanding the concept of a rhetorical question.

'_Why is he wearing that white cloak?' _Risha wondered as a moment of silence passed between the two.

"I'm leaving for a personal matter in the world of the living." Ichigo said, changing the subject.

'_Leaving?' _Risha wondered, being worried about why he was leaving.

"Will you return soon master?" Risha asked, maintaining her calm demeanor.

"Most likely." Ichigo replied nonchalantly, causing Risha to frown slightly.

"May… may I accompany you?" Risha asked with hope filling her voice

"Unfortunately no Risha, the fewer people there are on this one the better." Ichigo replied cryptically.

"I see…" Risha said as she adopted a saddened expression and took a sudden interest in the floor.

"Hey…" Ichigo began as he cupped her chin and brought her gaze to meet his own.

"Don't worry… nothing is going to happen to me." Ichigo reassured in a low comforting tone.

"Uhhhh." Risha mumbled as she felt his touch.

'_Why am I blushing?' _Risha wondered as her face heated up.

"C-can you… can you at least come back soon… Ichigo?" Risha asked, for the first time using Ichigo's name.

At this, Ichigo gave Risha genuine smile before moving the hand that had been cupping her chin and affectionately tracing on her cheek. Risha nuzzled into his hand seemingly out of instinct and began to blush even more so than before.

"You don't need to worry Risha… you are my fraccion and I will not leave you hanging in the wind like that." Ichigo stated with conviction, causing Risha to nod before Ichigo brought his hand to his side once more.

Ichigo made to leave before he was forcibly turned around by his fraccion.

"Before you go…" Risha began as she pulled Ichigo into an embrace, something that caused Ichigo's eyes to practically shoot out of his head.

"Ichigo…" Risha began, for the second time addressing Ichigo by his actual name.

"I want to let you know that I truly am grateful that you freed me from under Straga's service. Also I want to thank you for allowing me to follow instead of serve… no one has ever allowed me to do that in my existence as a hollow." Risha stated in an honest voice before letting Ichigo out of her grasp.

"Risha… that's not something I need thanks for. I do want to thank you for using my name without a title. I dislike being referred to as a higher rank than a comrade." Ichigo said before using sonido to exit the room.

_**Las Noches: Starrk's Room**_

"Starrk, wake up already." Lilynette ordered as she poked Starrk in the cheek repeatedly.

"I can't hear you Lilynette I'm sleeping." Starrk said lazily before rolling over on the pile of pillows he was sleeping on.

"If you responded to me…" Lilynette began as she moved her mouth right next to Starrk's exposed ear.

"THEN YOU'RE NOT ASLEEP!" Lilynette shouted, causing Starrk to practically jump out of his skin.

'_Dammit that was loud.' _Starrk thought as he held his hands over his ears in an attempt to stop the ringing in them. A moment later Starrk opted to shove his head into the pile of pillows in a second attempt to stop his ear drums from resonating.

The sound of sonido filled the air as Ichigo arrived to find Lilynette scowling at Starrk, who currently had his head buried into a pile of pillows.

"What is he doing?" Ichigo asked, a confused expression present on his face as he asked.

"He didn't want to wake up." Lilynette replied simply.

"I see…" Ichigo deadpanned as Starrk finally came out of the pile of pillows.

"When the hell did you get here?" Starrk asked as he noticed Ichigo was in his room.

"I got here while you were… well, I don't know what you were doing. But I'm here to tell you that Aizen has allowed me to go to the world of the living and he wants me to take you with me." Ichigo replied.

"Alright… when do we leave?" Starrk asked, surprising Ichigo with how little he actually wanted to know.

"We leave n…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"No fair, I wanna come!" Lilynette whined, causing Starrk to sight.

"Your Starrk's fraccion, so it's not my call." Ichigo replied, not having anything to do with the whining child.

"Please Starrk?" Lilynette begged, getting down on her knees and clasping her hands together in an overdramatic fashion.

"If I let you go, you've gotta let me sleep when we get back." Starrk said, causing Lilynette to jump up in the air out of joy.

"Deal!" Lilynette chirped.

"So when do we leave?" Starrk asked, turning to Ichigo.

"We leave now." Ichigo replied as he flicked his wrist and opened up a Garganta in the middle of the room.

The three stepped into the Garganta and headed off to the world of the living without uttering another word until inside the large black hole.

_**Inside the Garganta**_

"So any particular reason we're going to the world of the living?" Starrk asked out of curiosity.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it for now." Ichigo replied cryptically, causing Starrk to raise an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Lilynette asked.

"Lilynette, just drop it." Starrk ordered, noticing that this clearly wasn't something they should harp on.

The group traveled in silence for several more moments until Lilynette spoke.

"So what do you think of the beach day we're going to have?" Lilynette asked, addressing Ichigo.

"To be honest I really don't know what to think of it. In all honesty the only memories I have regained that involve a beach have been… unpleasant." Ichigo replied, the memory of Grand Fisher's lure flashing before his eyes.

"Szayel's got his work cut out for him with all the Gigai he has to make." Starrk added as an afterthought.

"True… but then again, Szayel doesn't seem like the type to pass up an opportunity to create something." Ichigo mused.

_**World of the living: Forests Outside of Karakura Town (Several Minutes Later) **_

"Oh wow the air here is heavy." Ichigo commented as he stepped outside the Garganta.

"What'd you expect? The air here isn't as spiritually rich as the air in Hueco Mundo, so of course the air's gonna feel different." Lilynette stated as she and Starrk walked up next to Ichigo.

"So what is it that you came here to do?" Starrk asked. Ichigo stood for a moment in silence, staring off at the city in the distance.

"Ichigo?" Starrk called, getting Ichigo out of his apparent trance.

"Sorry Starrk… you'll have to excuse me for staring off like that. This is where I was born… that city is where I lived." Ichigo replied, causing Starrk to frown.

"Aizen told me not to reveal myself to anyone… he expects me not to run off into the city… but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it." Ichigo said truthfully, never taking his eyes off of his hometown.

"Look kid, even if you wanted to leave Aizen's command for your old life… you have to know they wouldn't accept you back when you're a hollow… that's their way… that's always been the way of the Soul Society." Starrk stated, growing saddened as he could guess how Ichigo was feeling at the moment.

"Aizen told me I wasn't actually an arrancar, but he also said he doesn't know what I am and I suspect that whatever I am, you Halibel, Risha, and even your fraccion are as well. That aside, I am positive they wouldn't kill me even if I was a hollow." Ichigo replied in a quiet voice.

"Still, I can't have you running off like that. I know how you must be feeling… you probably feel like you've lost all your friends, everything you've ever cared about." Starrk began.

"Before I became an arrancar my spiritual energy was so high that those who came around me that weren't strong enough died due to the pressure. I was once one being made up of myself and Lilynette. Our previous form separated and created the both of us just so that we wouldn't be lonely any longer. So believe me when I say that I understand the loneliness, the loss you are experiencing as you get your memories back." Starrk stated.

"Is that why you joined Aizen, in order to quell that feeling of loneliness?" Ichigo asked. Starrk nodded in the affirmative before continuing.

"Before Aizen, I had nothing that could even resemble a friend other than Lilynette. Now I am a part of something, I have comrades. The same goes for you, regardless of the fact that you used to be a Soul Reaper, I have no issues calling you a comrade." Starrk added, prompting Ichigo to smile sadly.

"You are right… Starrk… I do have people I hold dear to me in Las Noches… but the thought of fighting those I once thought of as friends, even if as of yet I do not remember them, is unbearable to me." Ichigo replied sadly.

He would be lying if he said Halibel, Nel, Risha, even a few others he saw as comrades, didn't mean a thing to him.

Though he had no intention of fighting his friends at the moment, he was deadly afraid that Aizen would find a way, but that was all the more reason to gain his trust and find out what he was planning.

"Right now, I have something that I need to do." Ichigo stated as he took his eyes off of the city.

"Where are we going?" Lilynette asked, breaking her long silence as Ichigo put the hood up on his cloak.

"To a cemetery…" Ichigo replied before using sonido to head towards his intended destination.

**A/N Next Chapter will be posted on Friday. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo kissing Nel after kissing Halibel**: You'd think he'd be less dense, but he isn't… he really isn't… and that will come back to bite him, eventually. Plus, if you look at it a different way, they did kiss him... (Not going to be a good excuse, just a quick FYI)

**Ichigo's thoughts**: Basically, his thinking is that if he stays in Las Noches, he will be able to keep an eye on Aizen and, if he gets the chance, start a revolt. He already knows that Risha, Nel, and Nel's fraccion will join him, and there are several others that are potentials in this department.

**Starrk**: Yes, I figured he'd be a character Ichigo could relate to in this kind of situation. Yes, this will be the start of a friendship between the two c

**What does Aizen have planned?**: Won't tell!

**Aizen not telling Gin**: You'll find out why in the future.

**The man clad in white**: Quincy, but it won't come into play until the sequel and it wasn't the Quincy king.

**The Precise Date of Ichiogs' Mother's death**: I don't know it, but I just placed it here because I could, sorry if that bothers you since I know there will be one guy...

**What Aizen meant by "He won't have to"**: Again, won't tell!

**The Harem**: The full list for the first installment will be revealed within the next few chapters… I think.

**The Beach**: Someone said this in a review, and they will be on opposite ends of the beach for obvious reasons considering that the Soul Reapers believe that a "human" gang of people rented the other half of it, therefore, they can't really be mingling with people considering what they will do. About Ichigo not seeing anyone, that will happen, as in he will see someone, and that acts as a catalyst for the future chapters, you'll just have to trust me when I say I will make it work!

**A General Thanks**: To anyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, or complimented the story I say from the bottom of my digital heart, Thanks You! I really appreciate your support and I hope I can continue to impress in the future.

**Squad 10 Not Squad 9**: I know, frankly I have to give you a shout-out (**To: The Unknown Shinigami**) because I didn't realize that I made that mistake, so TY! :)))))))))))))))))))))))

**GENERAL STUFF**: If you have a question that wasn't answered in the _**Explanations**_: that you left in a review for **Chapter 25**, just PM me because, as I said, a few too many review to respond to given that I do need sleep.

_**Reviews**_ (As I am editing this chapter, there are too many reviews and it is getting slightly late where I live, so I will add stuff to _**Explanations**_ above, but in the future I will still respond to every review simply by planning it out better xD)


	27. Unwanted Confrontation

**A/N Here is Chapter 27, as per usual, or at least usual for the past few weeks, the next Chapter will be posted on Tuesday. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 27 **

_**World of the Living: Forests Outside Karakura Town **_

"Right now I have something that I need to do." Ichigo stated as he took his eyes off of the city.

"Where are we going?" Lilynette asked, breaking her long silence.

"To a cemetery…" Ichigo replied before using sonido to head towards his intended destination.

"Starrk…" Lilynette said in a voice just above a whisper as she turned to her partner.

"I know Lilynette… the kids in a lot of emotional pain right now. Even if I don't like it, I can't just let him do something as stupid as going into Karakura Town looking like an arrancar. With as powerful as he is, regardless of his intentions, the Soul Society will order his death." Starrk replied, causing Lilynette to frown, though she nodded in understanding.

"Before we follow him, mask your spiritual energy so we won't be tracked by the Soul Reapers. I'm sure everyone would prefer it if we were able to leave without starting a fight." Starrk said before using sonido to follow Ichigo, an action that was mimicked by Lilynette a moment later.

_**Karakura Town: Cemetery (Several Moments Later)**_

"What took you two so long?" Ichigo asked from his position of leaning on a tree as Starrk and Lilynette appeared via sonido.

"Can't expect us to be quite as fast as you, now can you?" Starrk asked rhetorically. Ichigo we well aware that Starrk could and should easily be able to travel as fast as Ichigo was able when using a simple sonido, but he decided not to dwell on it.

"Never mind… I suppose it doesn't really matter since we have to wait for those three to leave." Ichigo stated as he looked out into the cemetery to see the figures of two girls, and what appeared to be a middle aged man.

_**With the Kurosaki's **_

"Alright you two, ready to go?" Isshin asked his two daughters, both of whom were staring at the tombstone of their beloved mother.

"Yes… it just feels weird without Ichigo being here." Yuzu answered in a quiet voice as she wiped away the slight remnants of tears that were on her eyes.

"Just because he couldn't be here with us physically doesn't mean he doesn't want to be." Isshin stated.

"Yeah… let's get going." Karin stated as she too got up and began to walk away, shortly followed by the other two.

_**With Ichigo, Starrk, and Lilynette **_

"Looks like their leaving." Starrk observed as the apparent family vacated the premises.

"You two can stay here if you want." Ichigo said before using sonido to appear directly where the group of three had been moments ago.

'_What's the matter with him?' _Starrk wondered before using sonido to appear next to Ichigo.

A tick mark appeared on Lilynette's forhead. She had become annoyed with the fact that Starrk used sonido to wander off without telling her what he was doing.

'_I hate it when he does that!' _Lilynette thought in frustration before she too followed suit.

_**With the Kurosaki's**_

'_What is that?' _Karin wondered as she felt a similar sensation coming from the area of the cemetery near her mother's grave.

"Karin, are you okay?" Yuzu questioned as she noticed her sister turn her head in the direction of their mother's grave.

"Karin… are you okay?" Yuzu repeated when Karin did not respond.

"Huh? Oh yeah Yuzu… I'm fine. I just realized I left something back at mom's grave. Tell dad I'll be back in a sec." Karin replied before running off back into the cemetery.

'_What was that about?' _Yuzu wondered as she continued to walk towards their car to inform their father.

_**With Ichigo, Starrk and Lilynette**_

"I did say you could stay back if you wanted." Ichigo said as Starrk appeared next to him, subsequently followed by Lilynette.

"Call me curious." Starrk replied nonchalantly.

'_What is he staring at?' _Starrk wondered before following Ichigo's gaze. His eyes landed on a tombstone that was placed directly in front of where Ichigo had been standing, and had been the object he had fixed his gaze on since he appeared before the grave.

'_In this grave lies a loving wife, a caring mother, a fantastic person. Rest in peace…' _Starrk read in thought, only to stop once his eyes came to rest on the final words of the inscription.

He alongside Lilynette had wide eyes as they realized who's grave this was.

'_It can't be…' _Lilynette thought in surprise, unable to speak for the moment.

"Ichigo, is that…" Starrk said before being cut off.

"My mother… Masaki Kurosaki." Ichigo finished for Starrk as a lone tear exited his right eye and fell to the ground below.

Starrk frowned at this realization, coming to the conclusion that the boy had been through more than he had imagined.

"Ichigo… is that the reason you wanted to come here?" Starrk asked after a moment of abrupt silence.

"Yes… today is the anniversary of her death." Ichigo replied.

'_By human standards he must've been a young kid when his mother died…' _Starrk reasoned as he observed the date on the tombstone, which subsequently caused him to frown.

"You know…" Ichigo began, breaking Starrk out of his thoughts.

"One of the first things I remembered was likely the worst memory I ever will have. I remembered the day she died… more specifically how she died." Ichigo stated, confusing Starrk slightly.

"When I was young I could see spirits, though I could not at the time tell what was or was not a spirit. I remember seeing the image of a girl near the waters… I was concerned so I ran towards her in an attempt to help her. My mother yelled for me to stop but I wouldn't listen. The spirit had been the lure of the infamous hollow Grand Fisher… he killed my mother… and every day up until the point I remember fighting that bastard, I had to live with the guilt of believing I had caused my mother's death." Ichigo explained.

Starrk was at a loss for words at what Ichigo had been through, as was Lilynette. Neither in all their lives had they anticipated something so tragic could happen to one so young. The two had frowns after considering what happened to him even after he had been through all of that.

"If it makes you feel any better… Grand Fisher evolved into an arrancar and was killed when he arrived in the world of the living." Lilynette stated, recalling the report from some time ago.

"That makes me feel slightly better." Ichigo replied, giving off a sad smile. He'd be lying if he said it didn't.

"Who are you people?" A feminine voice asked from behind the three, interrupting their conversation.

'_Karin…' _Ichigo realized, thankful that his hood masked his appearance.

"Starrk, what do we do?" Lilynette asked in a hushed tone.

"She's my sister so if I can be helped we will do nothing. Besides, there is something I need to return." Ichigo replied as he began to walk towards his sister.

"Are you spirits?" Karin asked, not backing away as Ichigo walked towards her.

"What we are is of no importance." Ichigo replied cryptically, doing his best to mask his voice and characteristic speech.

He knew that he would have to return to Hueco Mundo for one reason or another, and he just couldn't bear the thought of confusing his sister to such a degree.

'_That voice… I swear I recognize it.' _Karin thought, though she couldn't quite peg the owner of the voice.

"I have something that belongs to your father and I would like to return it." Ichigo stated as he came to a stop directly in front of Karin.

'_What?' _Karin wondered confusedly before the arrancar reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden pocket watch.

"Give this to your father." Ichigo ordered as he placed the trinket into his sister's hand.

"What is this? Who are you?" Karin demanded to know.

"Karin, step away from him." Hitsugaya ordered as he along with his subordinates arrived on the scene, hands on swords.

_**Memory Flash**_

Little by little, brief scenes played before his eyes, ending no sooner than they came.

First, he stood next to a white-haired boy, or at least he appeared to be one.

"_Hey Toshiro._" He heard his own voice call out.

"_That's Captain Hitsugaya to you!_" Hitsugaya yelled, appearing upset with him.

'_Toshiro…' _Ichigo remembered.

Next he found himself from the vantage point of a bed, though what he felt next gave him a distinct memory of a certain person.

"_Eeeeeeep Ichigo!_" Rangiku chirped as she ran towards him. The next thing he saw, or rather felt, was air unable to enter his lungs, and the soft skin of the strawberry-blonde's cleavage pressing up against his cheeks through her robe.

The next image was of a nameless street in the Soul Society. The bald man seemed to be smirking at him, his weapon at his side.

"_They say that those whose names begin with Ichi are blessed with good looks and talent._" Ikkaku stated as he readied his blade, making to fight him.

"_Ichigo, the captain is looking for a fight, I advise you head for the hills for the time being._" Yumichika advised moments before a large wooden wall came crashing down on the opposite side of the building.

"_Showing concern for a warrior's life on the battlefield is an insult to that warrior._" Renji chided before walking off.

'_Rangiku, Ikkaku, Yumichika… Renji._' Ichigo recognized, though he didn't quite understand the gravity of how he knew the group, only that he did, in fact, know who they were.

_**Karakura Town: Cemetery (Present Time) **_

"Toshiro, what's going o…" Karin said before being cut off.

"Karin, those are arrancar, step away from him now." Hitsugaya ordered, his voice full of authority and malice, as he glared at the three hollows that had dared show their faces in Karakura Town.

Karin nodded and ran off, watch in hand, towards the exit of the cemetery, as per Hitsugaya's orders.

"Make a move to catch her, arrancar, and you will find your head at the side of your body." Hitsugaya threatened, his glare ever-present.

"If I had wanted to harm her in any way, I would have done so before you arrived." Ichigo stated impassively, still doing his best to mask his voice.

"I don't understand… how did they find us?" Starrk whispered to himself, though his rhetorical question was met with a sheepish giggle from Lilynette.

"Oops." Lilynette mumbled.

"Really, all you have to say is 'Oops'? I told you to hide your spiritual energy." Starrk lightly chided, though his voice was low enough for the Soul Reapers not to have heard.

'_Oh well, no point in hiding my spiritual pressure anymore._' Starrk mused.

'_I can sense no spiritual pressure coming off of him… the other male seems to be strong, and the young girl possesses decently high spirit energy.' _Hitsugaya observed, inwardly confused that the cloaked arrancar didn't seem to have any spiritual energy.

"I would prefer not to fight you… I got done what I came here to do." Ichigo said, making an attempt to leave without having to fight someone even now he still considered a friend.

"All chances of any arrancar leaving alive from this town vanished the moment Ichigo Kurosaki was killed." Renji stated as he drew his sword.

At this point, the Segunda and his fraccion understood something. Ichigo did, in fact, know these Soul Reapers, and that posed a problem. They couldn't really leave safely unless they were dealt with or else they may call for backup, and that would lead to even more complications on the off chance that they were found. But if they had to fight them, how would they handle it?

"Starrk…" Ichigo whispered, getting the attention of his comrade.

"Let me handle this… if I fight them I can at least guarantee they will only be slightly injured." Ichigo requested, getting a nod of confirmation from Starrk.

"Whatever you two are talking about, I don't care. Now you can either surrender on your own or we will force you to do so." Hitsugaya stated, ratting the hilt of his zanpakuto for effect.

"If we really have to fight, I would prefer not to do so in a cemetery… follow me into the forest away from this place." Ichigo said before using sonido to disappear.

Starrk and Lilynette immediately vanished themselves to a position that they could observe the fight in case they needed to step in.

"Let's go." Hitsugaya ordered before using flash step, followed by his subordinates.

_**Forests of Karakura Town (Several Moments Later)**_

"I am curious as to why you had us come all the way out here, arrancar." Hitsugaya said as he arrived at the, soon-to-be, battlefield.

"I would have thought you'd be appreciative that I didn't want to damage a cemetery." Ichigo retorted, causing Hitsugaya to grow silent. Moments later the others appeared at the location, each glaring at the arrancar.

"I've got first dibs on this one." Ikkaku stated, smirking as he eyed his opponent.

"Don't be foolish Ikkaku, we don't know how strong this hollow is." Yumichika chided, believing that this was to time for Ikkaku's ridiculous fighting rules.

"Just don't kill him, we need one alive to interrogate." Hitsugaya stated, surprising everyone with the exception of Ikkaku, whose smirk only increased in size.

"Captain, do you really think it's wise to…" Rangiku said.

"I cannot sense any spiritual pressure emanating from him. Therefore I do not believe Ikkaku is entering any danger." Hitsugaya stated, cutting Rangiku off.

"Alright…" Ikkaku said before he began to stand on his tiptoes. What happened next only struck Ichigo as weird, though he quickly recalled why the Soul Reapers present didn't appear disturbed by it.

"Who is lucky, I am lucky, none so lucky as meeeeeeeeee!" Ikkaku sang as he stood on one foot and outstretched his sword horizontally to his right.

"That's right I said meeeeeeeeeee!" Ikkaku sang as he held his sword out in the opposite direction, still on one foot.

"Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Ikkaku sang as he brought both his feet to the ground and held his sword in front of him.

'_I really wish I didn't remember that and witness it at the same time.' _Ichigo thought, as both the images of the lucky dance circled in his head and before his eyes.

All of a sudden Ikkaku ripped his sword out of it's sheathe, after which, he turned both his zanpakuto and sheathe towards one another prepared to charge headfirst into battle.

"Before we begin, I believe it's customary to tell my opponents my name so that they know who is going to kill them, even if in your case I'm only going to defeat you." Ikkaku stated with a confident grin on his features.

"My name is Ikkaku Madarame and I will defeat you!" Ikkaku roared, not giving his opponent to respond before he readied his Shikai.

"Extend, Hozukimaru!" Ikkaku shouted as he pushed the sheathe of his sword and his zanpakuto together, activating his Shikai.

Ikkaku ran with all the speed he could muster, grinning maniacally as he charged Ichigo with his weapon aimed at his chest. Slight amounts of dust were displaced along the path Ikkaku ran across, working to illustrate the impressiveness of his natural speed.

The orange-haired arrancar simply outstretched his left hand as the head of the spear approached its intended target.

A resounding shockwave could be heard as the sharp edge of the spearhead collided with the palm of Ichigo's left hand.

'_What?' _Ikkaku thought in disbelief upon witnessing his attack blocked so effortlessly. He began to sweat slightly, frozen in temporary shock at what had just occurred.

A moment later Ichigo grabbed the hilt of his sword with his free, right hand and slashed Ikkaku so quickly that none saw the move coming. A descent amount of blood began to pour from the wound that now stretched from Ikkaku's lower right hip to his upper left shoulder as he fell to the ground, wounded and beaten.

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika screamed as he grabbed his sword, an action that was mimicked by his comrades.

Under his hood, Ichigo scowled. If he didn't know that Ikkaku wouldn't stay down, he wouldn't have had to go to such extents and give him an injury of that caliber, but he had an act to keep up considering that these people did know him. In his mind, the worst was out of the way, but he just simply hoped he wouldn't regret doing what he felt he needed to do.

"That could have been avoided rather easily." Ichigo stated impassively as he resheathed his sword.

"You will pay for that arrancar." Hitsugaya stated.

'_Though he emits no spiritual pressure, his speed is unbelievable… even if that thick headed oaf blindly charged him, he caught Ikkaku's Shikai barehanded and countered faster than even I could see at first glance.' _Hitsugaya thought worriedly.

_**With Lilynette and Starrk (Several Moments Prior)**_

"Starrk, why are we watching from up here?" Lilynette complained, wanting to see the fight up close and personal.

"Because Ichigo asked that we not interfere and I'm in no mood to fight a Soul Reaper." Starrk replied lazily.

Silence passed between the two as they continued to have their eyes dead set on the battlefield.

"What is that bald guy doing?" Lilynette asked with a confused look on her face as she saw Ikkaku dance on his tiptoes and outstretch his sword in several different directions.

"You're asking the wrong person Lilynette." Starrk replied, equally as confused.

Faster than either of the two had predicted, the man's sword and sheathe became a long spear before he charged Ichigo as fast as he was able. No more than a second passed as Ichigo caught the spearhead in the palm of his hand, a moment later countering the ill-conceived attack by slashing Ikkaku diagonally across his body.

"You think that was a little much?" Lilynette asked warily, believing that Ichigo did not want to hurt them.

"He's making sure that he only injures them to the point that they won't be able to fight anymore. If he didn't make the strike that deep, that Soul Reaper wouldn't have given up… you could tell by the way he jumped at Ichigo." Starrk explained. He was currently frowning, the kid really didn't deserve this, or so he sternly believed.

In his mind, he saw this as being the only way. If they simply tried to run, the Soul Reapers might call for reinforcements, and on the off chance they got caught, that would turn the town into a battlefield, which was something he was certain Ichigo wouldn't allow.

On top of that, the fact that the Soul Reapers were trying to capture Ichigo gave him an advantage due to the fact that it allowed him the peace of mind that he wouldn't end up destroying his hometown in the fight with this group of Soul Reapers.

_**Karakura Town: Forests, Ichigo vs. The Soul Reaper's**_

"Now Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji roared, activating his Shikai and preparing for battle.

"Bloom, Fuji Kujaku." Yumichika uttered as he ran his hand along his zanpakuto, transforming his blade into a blade that contained four equally spaced, sickle shaped blades.

"Be careful all of you, though I still can't feel his spiritual pressure he is more than obviously a deadly opponent." Hitsugaya warned as he pointed his own blade at the cloaked arrancar.

"Four on one is hardly a fair fight…" Ichigo began before the buzz of sonido filled the air. All of a sudden, where once one arrancar clad in a white cloak once stood, four took his place, each identical in appearance.

'_What is this?' _Hitsugaya though with wide eyes as the four copies entered a stance of someone who was well versed in Hakuda.

"Let's get started." The four said simultaneously as they charged the four Soul Reapers.

_**With Lilynette and Starrk **_

"Starrk, what the hell is that?" Lilynette exclaimed, going wide eyed as she saw four of Ichigo fighting fist to sword against the Soul Reapers.

Starrk said nothing and seemingly refused to take his eyes off of the battle, observing what Ichigo appeared to be doing as if trying to figure out how it worked.

"Is it that thing Zommari could use… Gemelos Sonido?" Lilynette asked, herself not taking her eyes off of the fight.

"No… that's not it." Starrk replied, prompting Lilynette to grow confused.

"Whaddya mean Starrk?" Lilynette asked, believing that this was indeed the technique Zommari was infamous for being able to use, or at least, had been.

"Zommari wasn't capable of using his copies in such synchrony. Ichigo is defiantly using sonido, but to fight four Soul Reapers at a time with four copies of himself… that isn't how Gemelos Sonido functioned. You see, Zommari used his copies for a single attack, Ichigo is using them as perfect substitutes for himself… he's on a whole new level of speed." Starrk explained, guessing that he had the right answer to what Ichigo was doing.

"How is that even possible?" Lilynette asked, flabbergasted that someone possessed such speed. Her question was met with silence as the two continued to watch Ichigo punch, block and kick his way through the Soul Reapers, who appeared to be more shocked than they were at Ichigo's new technique.

'_Just how strong are you Ichigo?' _Starrk wondered. Though the Soul Reapers clearly weren't giving it their all, it was impressive to see them dismantled so easily.

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room **_

Risha lay on her bead, tossing and turning uncomfortably beneath the blankets, seemingly having a nightmare as she slept.

Abruptly, she shot up from the bed, breathing heavily and sweating slightly.

'_Dammit… will these memories never cease to haunt me?' _Risha wondered as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and calmed herself.

Several knocks on the door broke Risha out of her thoughts.

"You may enter." Risha said from her position lying down on the bed.

"Lady Halibel, Lady Nelliel, what may I do for you?" Risha asked as the two females walked into the room.

"We're looking for Ichigo and so far we've checked everywhere. Do you have any idea where he would be?" Nel asked in a hopeful voice, though her expression was one of worry.

"I know where he is, but he is not in Las Noches." Risha answered, confusing both Nel and Halibel.

"Then where is he?" Halibel asked, expecting to here that he had left to train. With that new form of his, it wouldn't surprise her.

"He went to the world of the living on a personal matter from what I was told. He said he would be back shortly." Risha replied, causing the room to go silent.

"Thank you Risha, that is all we wished to ask." Halibel said before she and Nelliel walked through the door, leaving Risha in her room.

"Did Ichigo tell you where he was going?" Nel asked as she and Halibel approached a fork in the hallway.

"No, he did not." Halibel replied, unable to hide her slight anger with that fact.

'_So he promises me not to make me worry, then he goes off without telling me where he is going.' _Halibel thought out of frustration as she and Nelliel split into separate hallways.

'_I can't believe him! I yell at him for almost getting himself killed and he just goes off and enters the world of the living without telling me?!' _Nel thought, in a rare case of slight anger.

'_I'm going to have to have a 'little chat' with Ichigo when he gets back.' _Halibel and Nel thought simultaneously.

_**World of the Living: Karakura Town (Ichigo vs. Soul Reapers) **_

'_Dammit…' _Hitsugaya thought as he recoiled from his failed attempt at cutting his opponent across his chest.

"I must admit you put up a much better fight than your subordinates." Ichigo complimented as he looked over to the bruised forms of Rangiku, Yumichika, and Renji. The three of them along with Ikkaku were either unconscious or lacked the ability to fight due to the wounds Ichigo had, reluctantly, inflicted.

'_They will be fine… though they will need some time to heal. Dammit, I wish this could be easier.' _Ichigo thought sadly before bringing his attention towards Hitsugaya once more, though he could not find the Soul Reaper where once he stood.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens…" Hitsugaya roared from the air above Ichigo, alerting him to his presence.

"Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya shouted, subsequently sending an ice dragon charging at Ichigo from the skies above.

'_Why would he think that attack would word?' _Ichigo wondered as he batted the dragon away with his hand.

As the dragon of ice shattered, Hitsugaya was falling down towards Ichigo with his left hand raised and his index finger outstretched.

"Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!" Hitsugaya uttered, causing a thick rope of golden spiritual energy frantically charging towards Ichigo, making an attempt to constrict him.

Ichigo used sonido to appear behind Hitsugaya as he fell from the sky, effectively dodging the kido and making to punch the captain into the earth below.

Hitsugaya turned to block the fist with his blade, significantly decreasing the force of the punch and enabling him to land on his feet.

"Rikujokuro!" Hitsugaya shouted as he outstretched his left hand once more to cast the spell.

This time, unlike previously, the spell had connected, which was evident by six rings of light surrounded Ichigo's midsection, rendering him immobile.

"It's over." Hitsugaya stated as he sent another ice dragon at Ichigo, this time confident it would not be blocked.

The spell shattered as the dragon fired, revealing Ichigo had shook free of the Bakudo with only sheer strength.

'_What?' _Hitsugaya thought in disbelief as his opponent once again used sonido, only this time to dodge the ice dragon.

The devastating attack caused several columns of trees to collapse to the ground, completely destroyed, but did no other damage as Ichigo appeared a good distance behind Hitsugaya with his back facing the captain.

'_There is no other option… I must use my Bankai.' _Hitsugaya thought as he turned to face the arrancar that had put up such a challenge thus far.

'_He has immense strength and fighting skills… but he appears not to be able to use any other attacks… perhaps his strength is only in his offensive capabilities such as Captain Zaraki.' _Hitsugaya thought as the arrancar turned to face him once more.

"I will give you one last chance arrancar… I know you possess no spiritual energy but are capable of using extreme strength and speed. You will not be able to defeat my Bankai. Therefore I offer you the chance to surrender once more." Hitsugaya stated.

"Sorry but I can't really do that… I have promises to keep." Ichigo stated cryptically.

"Then you leave me no choice…" Hitsugaya said in a quiet voice.

"Bankai!" Hitsugaya roared as he was engulfed in a torrent of spiritual energy.

_**With Starrk and Lilynette**_

"This spiritual pressure… so this is a captain's Bankai." Starrk said as he observed the vast amounts of spiritual pressure engulf the captain.

"Ichigo took out the other four no problem, why would this be any different?" Lilynette asked, surprised that Starrk seemed to imply he was worried.

"A Bankai is completely different from anything a Soul Reaper can use. It is their ultimate weapon, something that only the captain's or the strongest Soul Reapers are capable of using." Starrk answered.

"So you think the captain has a shot?" Lilynette questioned, detecting a slight amount of doubt in Starrk's voice.

"He can't use his spiritual pressure… however the captain was hesitant to use his Bankai due to the fact that he wants to capture Ichigo, and because of that I think Ichigo will wrap this up quickly." Starrk replied.

_**Karakura Twon: Forests, Ichigo vs. Hitsugaya **_

"Daiguren Hyourinmaru." Hitsugaya uttered as he appeared in his Bankai form.

'_So this is his Bankai… I don't think I've seen him use it before.'_ Ichigo thought, noticing that no memories of the Bankai popped into his head. Even if he wasn't seeing any memories of the power, he was sure he would recall seeing something as distinctive as an ice dragon encasing the form of the white-haired captain. That in mind, it made him worry to go up against something that he didn't really know the powers of, though he took solace in the fact that Hitsugaya wanted to take him alive.

"I'm going to finish this arrancar… don't say I did not warn you when you find yourself in the Soul Society under heavy guard." Hitsugaya stated as he pointed his sword towards the cloaked arrancar.

All of a sudden, pillars of ice began to erupt from the ground around Ichigo, encircling him in what appeared to be a prison of ice, just waiting to be activated.

'_This is an impressive power.' _Ichigo thought as he looked upon the pillars of ice in mild fascination as they began to spin around him.

"Sennen Hyoro!" Hitsugaya roared, causing the pillars to collapse on one another and form a colossal ice prison for the purposes of capturing his opponent.

A slight amount of fog that was caused by the attack crept through the air, distorting the image of the ice prison for a moment. However, when it was finally visible, Hitsugaya's eyes widened for a moment before he collected himself.

"Impossible…" Hitsugaya exclaimed as he failed to see Ichigo's body anywhere inside the prison of clear ice. He was certain that the arrancar hadn't seen it coming, and even if he had, the prison should have shut so rapidly that he couldn't have escaped.

'_Where could he have gone?' _Hitsugaya wondered, being at a disadvantage due to not being able to sense Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

"You missed." Ichigo stated form behind Hitsugaya, causing the silver haired captain to widen his eyes in shock.

Hitsugaya turned only to be met with a powerful kick to his stomach. Unable to block the attack in time, Hitsugaya went flying into his own prison of ice, shattering it and continuing to shoot through the air into a group of trees on the other side of the prison.

Upon landing, his Bankai faded and he was left unconscious on the ground, unable to move for the time being. Thankfully, Ichigo could still sense that his spiritual energy was strong and stable, which gave him the relief to know that his Bankai had faded due to his being unconscious.

'_I was hoping that he would not activate his Bankai… but I suppose his injures are more than manageable.' _Ichigo thought before the sound of sonido graced his ears.

"Impressive Ichigo." Starrk complimented as he and Lilynette appeared on the former battlefield.

"Impressive? He beat five Soul Reapers without drawing his zanpakuto! I can't wait to tell this story when I get back to Las Noches!" Lilynette cheered, causing Ichigo to shake his head and smile out of amusement. Lilynette reminded him of his sisters, and in a way, that made him happy.

"That sonido of yours was pretty impressive… when did you learn how to do that?" Starrk asked, curious about the technique.

"I've always been able to do it, but under this circumstance I thought it would be easier just to use it considering that they wanted to take me alive." Ichigo replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Starrk as he and Lilynette walked up next to Ichigo.

"You know you always seem to…" Starrk said.

"Hold it right their arrancar!" A male's voice shouted from across the former battlefield.

'_What now?' _Ichigo wondered as he turned to see three people now present in the forest.

"Dammit…" Ichigo whispered under his breath, immediately noticing two people in the group in particular.

"What?" Starrk asked, not getting why Ichigo appeared distraught at the sight of the new arrivals, though he had a good idea.

"That one in the Soul Reaper clothes is my dad… and the youngest is Uryu Ishida, a friend of mine." Ichigo replied in a hushed tone.

'_Wait… I don't remember him being a Soul Reaper…_' Ichigo thought, though at the moment her really wasn't in the best of situations to dwell on it. Not only did he realize that his father was a Soul Reaper, but he could sense that his spiritual energy was stronger than the captain he had just fought. On top of that, he could tell that there was the remnants of a captains haori on his left shoulder, and that aggravated him slightly.

"Move and you'll find an arrow through your head." Ryuken stated as he brought his Quincy bow up and aimed an arrow directly at the young female's head.

"What is it you three want?" Starrk asked, believing that Ichigo's voice may likely be recognized by his father, even if he tried to mask it.

"I want answers and you're gonna give them to me." Isshin replied, drawing his sword and pointing it at the three arrancar.

"Come quietly and none of you will die." Ryuken offered, though Ichigo knew that wasn't an option at the moment, so he decided it was best to take a risk and hope for the best.

A split second later, Ichigo placed a hand on both Lilynette and Starrk, an action that seemed to confused the both of them.

"What are you…" Starrk said before Ichigo used sonido to take them away from the immediate area.

Ryuken shot immediately after Ichigo had placed his hands on his comrades, sending an arrow directly through Lilynette's head, thought it passed directly through her with no effect.

"Afterimage." Ryuken spat, knowing full well that the three had successfully escaped after he checked his senses to see if they had in fact gotten away.

'_Dammit… so close to getting answers.' _Isshin thought out of frustration as he too lost track of the arrancar's spiritual signatures.

"Alright… let's just get these five to Urahara's so they can get patched up." Isshin stated as he threw Ikkaku and Yumichika on his back before using flash step to leave as well.

'_Something about this doesn't feel right.' _Ryuken thought with a calculating expression plastered on his face.

"Something bothering you, father?" Uryu asked, noticing that his father was still staring incredulously at the spot the arrancar had been.

"Something about this unnerves me… but perhaps I am being paranoid." Ryuken answered before dissipating his bow and walking over to the other three alongside Uryu.

'_That hooded arrancar was able to travel such a distance that I can no longer sense the spiritual energy of his comrades… and yet I never sensed his spiritual energy in the first place… this doesn't make any sense.' _Ryuken thought analytically.

_**Forests Outside of Karakura Town (Several Miles away) **_

"Sorry about that by the way." Ichigo apologized after taking his hand of off Starrk's and Lilynett's respective shoulders.

"No worries, I understand." Starrk replied.

"In fact, you probably saved Lilynette's life. If you hadn't done that just now, I doubt Lilynette could have left in time to escape that guy's spirit arrow." Starrk reasoned, glancing at Lilynette who had a grateful smile on her face.

"Thank for saving me Ichigo." Lilynette said honestly.

"Anytime Lilynette… for now we should return to Las Noches. I have done what I came here to do, and I guess I have a few more questions that need to be answered." Ichigo stated as he opened up a Garganta.

"What do you mean?" Lilynette inquired in a confused tone.

"I just found out my dad is a Soul Reaper, and a strong one as well. I want to see if Aizen knows anything about that." Ichigo clarified.

"You two coming?" Ichigo asked once a response wasn't made.

"You go ahead… I'll open up a Garganta to my room so I can just sleep when we get back." Starrk said, causing Lilynette to scoff.

"Lazy." Lilynette mumbled.

"Alright Starrk, see you around." Ichigo said before walking into the Garganta.

"That was… interesting." Starrk thought aloud.

"It was worth the trip. I think we even made a new friend, not just a comrade, can you believe it?" Lilynette chirped.

"You ready Lilynette?" Starrk asked as he looked over towards his fraccion, letting his small smile answer her question.

"Let's just get going… I may not be able to bug you while you sleep but at least I have a cool story to tell." Lilynette replied.

"As long as you don't bug me, do what ya want." Starrk stated before opening up a Garganta of his own.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room **_

"Ah, it appears that Ichigo has returned." Aizen stated from his position on the throne as a Garganta opened up in the middle of the floor in front of him. Ichigo walked through the black hole a moment later and released a sigh of relief.

"Damn this thing was annoying." Ichigo complained as he brought the hood off of his face, showing it for the first time since he left for the world of the living.

"Comfort was not the purpose of the cloak." Aizen stated, bringing Ichigo's attention to him.

"Speaking of which, I trust you were not discovered?" Aizen asked.

"No, I was not discovered… and before you ask, Starrk decided to take a Garganta directly to his room in order to sleep." Ichigo replied, causing Aizen to nod in understanding.

"That's quite characteristic of him from what I can tell." Gin stated as he entered the throne room.

"Gin, what might you be doing here?" Aizen questioned, knowing that Gin's presence was not requested.

"I sensed that our Primera had returned and I was just dying to hear his report. So what'd ya do Ichigo?" Gin asked, turning towards Ichigo.

"Well I did what I went to do, however I ran into some… unexpected guests." Ichigo replied, causing both Gin and Aizen to raise a curious brow.

"I fought with the Soul Reaper task force that was stationed in Karakura Town, the leader of which was Toshiro… sorry, Captain Hitsugaya." Ichigo clarified, though Aizen smirked at the mention of the white-haired Captain's first name, taking it as a sign that Ichigo's memories were progressing.

"The fact that you informed me you were not discovered tells me that you defeated them without the use of spiritual pressure. Would this be an accurate assessment?" Aizen questioned, eliciting a nod of confirmation from Ichigo.

"I only drew my blade to put down Ikkaku Madarame for the reason that had I not finished him quickly the fight would have been significantly longer." Ichigo added.

"Your skills in Hakuda must be quite a sight to behold Ichigo." Gin complimented, slightly surprised that he was able to best a captain without his zanpakuto, even given the 'don't kill' mentality the captain approached the fight with.

"I would expect nothing less from the Primera Espada." Aizen said contentedly.

"After the fight… I saw my father along with Uryu Ishida." Ichigo stated, surprising Aizen slightly.

"They were with a third man but…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"It is likely that you saw Ryuken Ishida, the father of Uryu Ishida. He is an incredibly powerful Quincy who has recently aligned himself with the Soul Society for the sake of your father." Aizen explained.

"Did you end up fighting your old man?" Gin asked in an innocent tone.

"No, I escaped without fighting the other three given the fact that I knew I had an opening to escape." Ichigo answered.

"But… the fact that you asked if I fought him tells me that you knew he was a Soul Reaper. Is that true?" Ichigo asked, directing the question to Gin or Aizen in this case.

"We were both aware of this, but I take it your father didn't tell you?" Aizen questioned, making Ichigo shake his head.

"I see… all that I can tell you about him is that he was once a captain, of the tenth division I believe. The rest is something that should not come from me, at least, not directly." Aizen replied, not wanting to tell Ichigo specifically who his father was as a Soul Reaper.

'_Just wish he had told me…_' Ichigo thought disappointedly, slightly hurt that his father hadn't had more faith in him.

"You may go now Ichigo." Aizen stated.

"I will be doing some training in the desert, please send someone to get me if you need anything." Ichigo said.

"I trust that your journey was satisfactory?" Aizen inquired before Ichigo had the chance to leave.

"The trip was… worth it, I guess." Ichigo replied in a tone of mild disappointment before using sonido to exit the throne room.

"You think he went up against Captain Hitsugaya's Bankai?" Gin asked as he walked up to the center of the room.

"It matters very little in the long run… the fact that he remembers several of his friends proves that his memories are returning, and that is what really matters at the moment." Aizen replied.

"Again, why do you want him to remember? I recall you saying something along the lines of 'he will hate you' when he remembers." Gin said, prompting Aizen to chuckle slightly.

"Because once he remembers and I inform him of what it is I truly wish to accomplish, he will become the most important component of my future plan, the ultimate fail-safe." Aizen replied, piquing Gin's curiosity.

"Meaning…" Gin trailed off, wanting Aizen to elaborate.

"The Hogyoku is simply a means to an end, if it fails, Ichigo will be the ace in the hole, meaning that I mean for him to execute the Spirit King should I be unsuccessful in controlling the Hogyoku." Aizen replied, making Gin's eye open fully, if only for a moment.

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room **_

'_The deserts of Hueco Mundo always did calm me down.' _Risha thought as she looked out her balcony.

"Hello Risha." Ichigo greeted as he appeared in the room via the buzz of sonido.

"Master, it's good to see your back." Risha responded as she turned to face Ichigo, causing Ichigo to facepalm at the mentioning of her usual title for him.

"And here I was thinking you'd moved past that title." Ichigo said, causing Risha to giggle slightly.

'_Did she just… giggle?' _Ichigo wondered, believing that he had somehow injured his ears during his fight.

"Old habits die hard." Risha stated, giving off an ever so slight smile.

"You seem cheerful at the moment." Ichigo observed as Risha walked towards him.

"Not particularly." Risha replied in an impassive manner.

"Right… anyway, I'm off to train for the time being since I've not been able to use my spiritual energy for a good bit." Ichigo said before being interrupted.

"May I come with you?" Risha asked in an emotionless voice, surprising Ichigo.

'_I could swear she just became a different person.' _Ichigo thought, noticing Risha's demeanor once more became more robotic.

"N-no… I'm going to let loose a lot of spiritual pressure and if you were near me you could get hurt, which is something I really don't want to happen." Ichigo stated, causing Risha to frown slightly. He wasn't entirely lying, but he did worry for her safety given that he intended to expel a lot of energy.

"Then why bother telling me where you're going?" Risha asked in a somewhat disappointed tone, confused as to why he wouldn't just go train and then visit her.

"You are my fraccion. I figured you would at least like to know where I am." Ichigo reasoned, eliciting a nod of understanding from Risha.

"Very well." Risha replied before Ichigo used sonido to leave the room.

'_I suppose it is somewhat kind of him to worry that I might get hurt.' _Risha thought as she walked over to the balcony once more to view the endless desert.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Ah feels good to be back here for a bit." Ichigo said as he stretched his arms.

"Ichigo…" A female called from behind him.

**A/N Next Chapter will be posted on Tuesday, and now that Ichigo is back in Las Noches, he be in trouble… but who gets first crack at him, that is my little secret!**

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo Fighting his friends**: Not that he really wants to, but he doesn't really see any other way. If they tried to run, he doesn't really know if they can get away, that is why he took a "gamble" when Ryuken and his father showed up, it just happened to work.

**Ichigo beating the Soul Reapers**: I tried to illustrate this, but Ichigo is not necessarily strong enough to beat all of those five at full power without the use of his spiritual energy. He is strong, but without the use of his sword/spiritual energy, that would be drawing a line.

**Ichigo being good at Hakuda**: He was taught by Yoruichi, that stuff stayed with him subconsciously, though he doesn't remember her or Urahara… yet.

**Ichigo's Sonido Copies**: Previously, I have stated that the powers of his zanpakuto filtered into his hollow powers and this filters in to the whole 'his hollow was actually his zanpakuto' thing that has recently come to light in the Manga. It is essentially a slightly midified ability of Tensa Zangetsu, and the reason I didn't write any fight sequences with that in it was simple, it would've been damn hard given the circumstances. I will write that ability in fights in the future, but for just this once, it was introduced but not shown.

**Risha's Dreams**: You can probably guess that they are memories from her previous life as a Vasto Lorde, what they are will be revealed shortly.

**Aizen's Plan**: In case you didn't catch that, Ichigo is his ace in the hole for killing off the spirit king, but how he plans to get Ichigo to cooperate is still unknown… except to me, of course.

**Ichigo's Father Being a Soul Reaper**: He didn't know prior, but Aizen isn't going to tell him the whole truth, not just because he doesn't feel it's his business, but because in the future he might need to spare Ichigo's father to keep Ichigo on his "side" if at all possible.

**Gin**: He is quite curious about what Aizen is currently planning because he is intelligent enough to know that Aizen has altered his plans more so than he is willing to let on, and Gin obviously needs to know this.

**Espada List**: Primera (1) is Ichigo, Segunda (2) is Starrk, Tercera is Halibel, Cuarto is Ulquiorra, Quinto is Barragan, Sexta is Nel, Septima is Nnoitora, Octava is Grimmjow, Noveno is Szayel, and Decimo is Yammy. (Szayel got promoted, but I haven't mentioned that just yet)

_**Reviews**_:

**QuasWexQuas**: Thank you, glad to hear you liked it! I also liked Starrk a lot and was sad to see him go. I felt the same way about Halibel and Ulquiorra, and Ichigo may or may not start a revolt, depends on what happens… ;)

**darkmachines**: Thanks, also I did respond via PM, and I didn't really think who the Quincy would be, but I have time to figure that out xD

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks!

**DragonsFlame117**: A general thanks for your support of my story! Glad to hear that you enjoy it more so than "Devastating Consequences" I try.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Yes, they will, but he still needs to get situated a bit. After the beach, a few things happen and then life starts to get calm, then things pick up, and well… that's all I can really say.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Thanks, I really, really, really appreciate that compliment. Also, I am glad you don't think that I am a cruel douche bag, that means a lot as well ^^

**Final Demon**: Balance is the key! ^^

**Kuroi Rin**: Risha is essentially a ninja, or at least an assassin, and she is incredibly powerful. Also, glad to see you liked the situations I wrote. Hope you like this chapter as well!

**Guest(1)**: Glad to hear it keeps improving, also, if and when Ichigo revolts, Gin will help him IF it is convenient for him. The beach should be "FUN!" and I will try to make it as good as I can. Maybe Ichigo's assassin fraccion has a crush on him, which means she does, or not :P.

**LimeEmil**: Thanks! I don't really think it matters too much that I didn't put it in, but nonetheless, you have my thanks for dropping it into a review.

**Friaku**: Glad to hear you liked it, also a general thanks!

**The Night Hunter**: Hope the scene wasn't a letdown, also, you should pity them because some people just don't learn…

**Aizen is by bitc**: Thanks, also I think I've said this prior, but Zangetsu and what happened to him will be reveled in the future.

**Fire0770**: I see you changed your profile pic, just though I'd throw that out there, it looks cool. He gave Gin a little hint, but it is mostly just because it doesn't matter that Gin knows that. He did have to dodge them, but again, he didn't dodge the Soul Reapers, which was unfortunate for him. Thanks for correcting the typo, I appreciate it and want you to know I went back and fixed it. Also, Ichigo's memory, he remembers certain things, not all the people, and not all the events. He doesn't really remember Aizen, but he does remember the people he comes into contact with, but that list gets smaller and smaller in terms of who he needs to remember as time goes on.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, and since you "hear" OC's I may as well say… maybe.

**joe**: I assume you mean the new numbers of the Espada, and of course, I did in the _**Explanations**_: section for your convenience.

**hornet07**: Meh, if I even did it, you know I would add my own creative twists to it. I never really like to restate what happened in canon word for word, even if I try to base my logic off of it. I pride myself on my ability to be creative, and hope that I can make it interesting even if you don't really like that stuff. I might do the movies first, and who knows, I may even make up my own little arc should people really say they don't like the Quincy thing.

**BleachFan21**: Thanks!


	28. Consequences

**A/N Here is the chapter as I promised! **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 28 **

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room **_

'_The deserts of Hueco Mundo always did calm me down.' _Risha thought as she looked out her balcony.

"Hello Risha." Ichigo greeted as he appeared in the room via the buzz of sonido.

"Master, it's good to see your back." Risha responded as she turned to face Ichigo, causing Ichigo to facepalm at the mentioning of her usual title for him.

"And here I was thinking you'd moved past that title." Ichigo said, causing Risha to giggle slightly.

'_Did she just… giggle?' _Ichigo wondered, believing that he had somehow injured his ears during his fight.

"Old habits die hard." Risha stated, giving off an ever so slight smile.

"You seem cheerful at the moment." Ichigo observed as Risha walked towards him.

"Not particularly." Risha replied in an impassive manner.

"Right… anyway, I'm off to train for the time being since I've not been able to use my spiritual energy for a good bit." Ichigo said before being interrupted.

"May I come with you?" Risha asked in an emotionless voice, surprising Ichigo.

'_I could swear she just became a different person.' _Ichigo thought, noticing Risha's demeanor once more became more robotic.

"N-no… I'm going to let loose a lot of spiritual pressure and if you were near me you could get hurt, which is something I really don't want to happen." Ichigo stated, causing Risha to frown slightly. He wasn't entirely lying, but he did worry for her safety given that he intended to expel a lot of energy.

"Then why bother telling me where you're going?" Risha asked in a somewhat disappointed tone, confused as to why he wouldn't just go train and then visit her.

"You are my fraccion. I figured you would at least like to know where I am." Ichigo reasoned, eliciting a nod of understanding from Risha.

"Very well." Risha replied before Ichigo used sonido to leave the room.

'_I suppose it is somewhat kind of him to worry that I might get hurt.' _Risha thought as she walked over to the balcony once more to view the endless desert.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Ah feels good to be back here for a bit." Ichigo said as he stretched his arms.

"Ichigo…" A female called from behind him.

"Nel?" Ichigo asked as he turned to see Nelliel sitting on his bedspread.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked with a confused look on his face.

"Well I sensed you were back and there's something I wanted to speak with you about something." Nel replied as she shot a death glare at Ichigo that could have frozen hell over.

'_What did I do now?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw the unmistakable look of an upset woman, something he had gotten good at spotting.

"So would you mind telling me why you went to the world of the living?" Nel asked in an agitated tone, though she gave off a smile that was sweet, but had an ominous feel, and not in a good way.

'_CRAP, I forgot to tell her.' _Ichigo realized, though he took comfort in the fact that he had a good excuse.

"You have one minute to explain yourself before I throw you through a wall." Nel warned, causing Ichigo to sweat drop due to the fact he could tell he wasn't lying.

"I went to the world of the living because I remembered that today was the day my mother died. I visited her grave with Starrk." Ichigo replied, causing Nel to frown.

Ichigo then began to go over the details, why he isn't wearing his mask fragment, Aizen telling him that he isn't a full arrancar and then offering him the chance to visit the grave, who he fought, that he found out his father was a Soul Reaper, that he saw his sisters, and about Starrk and Lilynette accompanying him. He did leave out how and why his mother was dead, not really wanting to talk about it since he had explained it to Starrk, it really just wasn't a present memory.

Though it took longer than a minute, he wasn't thrown through a wall, and he took that as a good sign.

'_Damn he makes it hard to be mad at him.' _Nel thought as she debated whether to comfort Ichigo or throw him through a wall as she had promised she would.

"I… I didn't even know you were human for a time." Nel stated, deep in thought.

"I wouldn't really remember telling or not telling you, sorry about that." Ichigo apologized.

"How…" Nel began to ask before stopping her sentence.

"Whatever you have to ask, it won't bother me." Ichigo reassured, picking up on Nel's hesitance.

"How did your mother die?" Nel questioned, hoping that she wasn't asking too personal of a question.

"Well…" Ichigo began, starting off the long-winded tale of that day at the beach when he ran over to the lure of the infamous Grand Fisher… and then, nothing. All he could remember after that was himself standing over the corpse of his mother, something he would prefer not to think about if he could help it.

In total, thus far, the two had likely been talking for about half an hour, all of which had consisted in Ichigo speaking with Nel listening intently, though she was incredibly saddened by the tale, for more than one reason.

"Do you hate hollows because of that?" Nel questioned in an emotionless voice once Ichigo had finished, though she desperately wanted to hear him deny the implication.

Ichigo picked up on the fact that she was hiding the emotions behind the question, but luckily he didn't have to lie in order to give her the answer she seemed to want to hear.

"No… I came to terms with the fact that not all hollows were evil a while ago. Hell, you're a prime example that not all hollows are evil." Ichigo answered, causing Nel to smile.

"Ichigo…" Nel said in a low and comforting voice as she brought Ichigo into an embrace in a gesture meant to comfort him.

"I can't be angry that you left after what Aizen had offered… but I at least thought you'd tell me that you were leaving." Nel said as Ichigo stroked her upper back with his left hand.

"Aren't we close enough friends that you can at least tell me that much?" Nel almost cried out.

"Yes we are… and that was my mistake, Nel… but I can honestly say that I had forgotten to find you after Aizen offered to let me leave." Ichigo explained.

"How comforting to know that you forgot about me." Nel said sarcastically, causing Ichigo to panic due to the fact that this could go one of two ways.

"I… ummmmm… I think 'forgot' was the wrong word to use." Ichigo stuttered out.

"Relax Ichigo… I forgive you, but only if you can tell me it won't happen again." Nel said, laughing slightly at Ichigo's discomfort.

"Nel…" Ichigo said as he pulled his head back to look her directly in her hazel eyes.

"It won't happen again." Ichigo stated with conviction, his eyes conveying the truth of his words.

"Promise?" Nel questioned, just to make sure.

"I kept my last one didn't I?" Ichigo asked, causing Nel to smile.

"That's true… you did come back alive." Nel replied as she exited the embrace, an action that confused Ichigo.

"But I let you off the hook for doing something stupid last time…" Nel began as she gave Ichigo a smirk that sent chills down his spine.

"…so this time you're going to have to be punished." Nel continued as she brought her fist back, the intentions behind the action quite clear.

'_Damn this is gonna hurt.' _Ichigo grimaced as he closed his eyes and braced for impact. Though he could have blocked the attack, on some level he felt he had it coming, one way or another.

_**Las Noches: Outside Ichigo's Room **_

"I do appreciate you telling me Ichigo has returned, Risha." Halibel stated as she walked towards Ichigo's room alongside Risha.

"My pleasure, though he may be off training at the mome…" Risha said before the sound of cracking stone interrupted their conversation.

Ichigo flew directly through his door and crashed into the thick wall outside of it, creating an Ichigo-shaped hole, several feet thick, in the wall.

"Damn these walls are thick." Ichigo grumbled as he peered his head out of the hole, rubbing the back of his head due to the force of the impact.

"Hi Tia, Risha." Nel greeted as she walked through the hole where Ichigo's door once was.

"We were just speaking." Nel explained as she smiled at her two female comrades.

"Ichigo…" Halibel called as she walked up to Ichigo, who was still standing inside the hole in the wall.

"Are you alright?" Halibel asked with mild concern in her tone.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine." Ichigo replied as he got out of the wall and cracked his neck.

"Good." Halibel said as she brought her fist back, making to punch Ichigo herself.

"What'd I do now?" Ichigo asked as he noticed Halibel's action and the upset look in her eyes.

"This is for making me worry." Halibel answered in an emotionless voice as she brought her fist down and punched Ichigo straight into the wall on the other end of the hall.

Her words brought Ichigo back to the memory of what he had told her, that he would do his best not to make her worry, and never before had he regretted breaking a promise to this degree.

"Master, are you okay?" Risha asked, using a rare touch of genuine concern as she saw Ichigo punched into not one, but two walls.

"Again I'm fine, though I might be stuck." Ichigo replied, becoming confused when he saw Risha pull her fist back.

"What're you doing?" Ichigo asked warily, his eyes widening as he caught a hint of anger in Risha's eyes.

'_Why the hell would she be mad at me?_' Ichigo wondered, though the answer of his fraccion brought him out of his mental inquiry.

"Helping you." Risha replied as if the answer was obvious.

"No wai…" Ichigo shouted, only to be cut off as Risha punched Ichigo in his midsection, the results of which were the stone wall around Ichigo shattering and Ichigo himself falling to the floor on his face.

"Risha, was that really necessary?" Nel asked as Ichigo got up from the ground and dusted himself off.

"I could ask both of you that same question." Risha retorted, silencing both of the woman on the matter.

'_Damn those girls can hit._' Ichigo thought as he felt a headache coming on and his bones begin to ache. Instant regeneration or not, those punches hurt like hell.

"Nel, I think Halibel would also like to know what I was doing in the world of the living, so if you could…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"You will tell me yourself." Halibel ordered as she dragged Ichigo into her room, due to the wall for his being destroyed.

It wasn't that Ichigo didn't want to explain everything to Halibel, but being punched through a wall several times wasn't necessarily healthy. In hindsight, however, he should _not _have said that.

"Lady Nelliel, could you tell me what Ichigo was doing in the world of the living?" Risha asked as the door to Halibel's room shut.

"Sure, he was…"

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room **_

"Okay, now I would like if you explained why it is you left. Though I'm not pleased to admit it, I was worried when I could not find you." Halibel sated, causing Ichigo to release a tired sigh.

"In all honesty, due to the reason I left, I had forgotten to tell both you and Nel." Ichigo replied, though Halibel's glare told him to quickly get to the point.

"My memories have been returning… one of which was the death of my mother. When we slept in that cave, down in the Menos Forest, that memory returned to me. This morning went to talk to Aizen about my past, considering that I thought he was lying when he said he didn't know the woman who's picture was in the watch you saw. He ended up offering to let me go into Karakura Town to visit her grave. He told me to get Starrk and Lilynette, and gave me this." Ichigo said, motioning to his cloak as he finished.

"The cloak masks my spiritual pressure completely but has the side effect of not allowing me to access it during a fight. Other than that it works perfectly." Ichigo explained.

"That is a large amount of information to take in so quickly…" Halibel trailed off, seemingly lost as to what was Ichigo was trying to explain.

"I'll start from the beginning." Ichigo said.

He then began to tell her what happened, what Aizen had told him, the fact that he regained more memories, the fact that he visited the grave, everything that had led up to this moment. This time however, he decided to add the story of how his mother died, something that seemed to make even Halibel sympathetic.

"Do you know that you make it very hard to be upset with you?" Halibel questioned as she walked up to Ichigo and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"If that were not the case, you would have sent me through more than one wall." Ichigo joked, causing Halibel to release a quiet chuckle.

_**Las Noches: Outside Halibel's Room **_

"I see…" Risha trailed off as she absorbed why Ichigo had left for Karakura Town and the general reasons behind it.

So many things struck her as odd, the fact that he wasn't really an arrancar, at least, not completely. The fact that he had been a human, and a Soul Reaper no less. These were things that sent her mind buzzing, but she found all of these things extremely fascinating at the same time.

"I can understand why he would not want me to come given how personal this trip was." Risha stated, feeling slightly guilty that she had punched Ichigo for that reason.

"Ichigo isn't like most of the Espada. He cares deeply for everyone he considers to be a friend. You are his fraccion and I think you're his friend as well, if not that, he clearly want to protect you. Give him a little time before he starts to let you follow him into potential fights, okay?" Nel asked, noticing that Risha was mentally berating herself.

"Hey, either of you two seen Lady Halibel?" Apacci asked as she walked down the hall along with the other members of Halibel's fraccion. Upon noticing several things that were different in the hallway, however, the three arrancar developed confused expressions.

"What happened here?" Mila Rose asked as she noticed three holes in the walls of the hallway.

"This hole in the wall looks like Ichigo." Sung-Sun observed as she gave a skeptical glance at Nelliel and Risha.

"Why are you three looking for Halibel?" Nel questioned, effectively changing the subject.

"Lilynette just told us a story and we wanted to tell her about it." Apacci replied.

"She is currently speaking with Master Ichigo down the hall, though I'm not sure you should…" Risha said, only to stop midsentence as Apacci and Mila Rose walked down the hall, which was exactly what she was about to advise that they not do.

"Think nothing of it Risha. Those two are gluttons for punishment." Sung-Sun joked, knowing that it was unwise to disturb their mistress.

"Then why is it that you are not following them?" Risha asked.

"I desire to keep a safe distance should they be interrupting certain… activities." Sung-Sun replied cryptically, causing Risha to tilt her head in confusion.

In response to what Sung-Sun had said, Nel glared off in the general direction of Halibel's room, a slight blush covering her face at the implication.

_**Las Noches: Inside Halibel's Room **_

Many things were racing through Halibel's mind at the moment. Recent events had made it abundantly clear to her that she preferred Ichigo's company to most, if not all, others. On top of this, she felt something when she was in his arms, feelings she hadn't really had for as long as she could remember. Something about him just seemed to awaken emotions in her, be they anger and frustration, or affection and sympathy.

The possibility that she had some semblance of feeling for him was no longer a possibility, it had become a fact to her. But then her mind was brought back to what Sung-Sun had said and the prospect of having Ichigo as her mate. Something like that was tempting for some reason, at least, to her, but she wasn't really aware if that was what she wanted.

Then her mind traveled to what would happen if she were never to ask him, more specifically, who would ask him instead. She knew, even if Ichigo didn't, that Nel had feelings for him, possibly more so than she did, or at the very least more than she herself was willing to confess to him at the moment. There was even a possibility that Ichigo's new fraccion had feelings for him, but that possibility was likely more remote for the time being.

Regardless, the thought if Ichigo being with either of them made her feel something she hadn't felt in ages… jealousy, and there was no denying that this was what she felt in response to those thoughts.

'_Perhaps I indeed should ask him.' _Halibel thought as the embrace with Ichigo had been going on for quite some time.

"Ichigo…" Halibel began as she pulled her head off of Ichigo's shoulder and looked up at him.

"Yes, Halibel?" Ichigo asked as Halibel was silent for a few seconds.

"Would you consider being my…" Halibel said before a knock on the door cut her off.

'_I have a pretty good idea of who that is.' _Halibel thought as she released a sigh of annoyance.

"I… I really should see what they want." Halibel said as she reluctantly exited the embrace and headed for the door, confusing Ichigo by her choice of words.

"They?" Ichigo questioned, his confusion subsiding as Halibel opened the door.

"What?" Halibel asked heatedly, sending her two fraccion a warning glare.

"Not quite what I expected you two to walk in on, though I do believe you two are still in trouble." Sung-Sun commented as she noticed Halibel's death glare.

"I'll be leaving to train… goodbye everyone." Ichigo said, becoming astronomically confused as to what was going on.

"Before you leave, I wanted to ask if you…" Halibel said, but she was too late. Ichigo had left via sonido, clearly not having heard her speak.

Immediately after this had occurred, Halibel sighed once more before turning to her subordinates and gaving them a glare that put her previous expression to shame. Apacci and Mila Rose could literally feel as if their mistress' eyes were piercing their very soul's.

"You had better have a good reason for coming to see me." Halibel stated, though it sounded as more of an ominous warning. Her question was met with silence until someone spoke up.

"Forgive them Lady Halibel, they simply refuse to learn." Sung-Sun stated, though her words caused Halibel to turn her glare at her, which made the olive-haired arrancar audibly gulp.

"Sung-Sun, would you care to explain to me what you meant by 'now quite what I had expected you two to walk in on'?" Halibel questioned, making Sung-Sun's skin pale.

"I had expected that you two were… enjoying one another's company… thoroughly…" Sung-Sun replied with a blush on her face. Both Mila Rose and Apacci blushed at this, but they didn't comment.

"If you believed that was occurring, why did you not stop them from disturbing us?" Halibel asked calmly, her glare only intensifying. If she weren't so annoyed right now, she herself would be blushing, but that was just it, she was extremely annoyed at the moment.

"Are you upset that I assumed such a thing, or because we interrupted before you could get to such a point?" Sung-Sun asked in a panic, her blush increasing after she had realized what she had said.

Halibel herself blushed under her high rise collar, but it wasn't visible.

"I will not punish you, but in the future do not disturb me when I am speaking with Ichigo." Halibel ordered firmly, realizing that it would be best that she not explain the reason for her annoyance.

Apacci and Mila Rose just sighed out of pure relief, but Sung-Sun just gave her a confused look.

"Now what is the reason you wanted to see me?" Halibel asked.

"Lilynette just told us about Ichigo's fight in the world of the living, you won't believe what happened…" Apacci began.

_**World of the Living: Urahara's Shop **_

"How are you feeling Toshiro?" Urahara asked, addressing Hitsugaya.

"Minor injuries, I will be fine by the time we are summoned to the Soul Society for the captain's meeting." Hitsugaya replied.

"That's good… the rest of your subordinates received lesser injuries and are for the most part all patched up, but I still advised that they rest and I'll ask you to do the same." Urahara stated, prompting Hitsugaya to nod in understanding.

"You mind telling me what happened now, Isshin?" Urahara questioned as he walked out of the medical room and into the common area where Yoruichi, Uryu, Ryuken, and Uryu were currently sitting.

"Not much to say… except for this." Isshin replied as he through a golden pocket watch onto the table.

The eyes of everyone in the room widened in shock with the expectation of Uryu, who had no idea what the object was, or what its significance was.

"Where did you get that?" Yoruichi asked, being the first to speak.

"One of the arrancar gave it to Karin in the cemetery. I don't even know where I begin to explain that to her." Isshin answered, grimacing at what he expected to happen upon returning home.

"Was it the one in the white cloak?" Ryuken asked, wanting clarification.

"I don't know… you have to remember that the girls do not know I'm a Soul Reaper so I didn't press, but…" Isshin said before being cut off.

"The arrancar in the white cloak was indeed the one who gave Karin that object, Captain Shiba." Hitsugaya confirmed as he walked out of the medical room, having overheard the discussion.

"Just call me Isshin, Toshiro. My days as a captain are gone, and I haven't been a Shiba in ages." Isshin replied, prompting the young prodigy to nod in understanding.

"Sorry… force of habit." Hitsugaya said.

"What is this things significance?" Uryu asked, wanting to get back to the topic of the watch, more specifically what it meant.

"I had Kisuke give this to Ichigo when he was training… before he disappeared." Isshin replied, causing Uryu to frown.

"When I couldn't find it, I assumed it went with him to Hueco Mundo… now I know that's true." Urahara said.

'_But that raises the question of why the arrancar gave it back to Karin.' _Urahara thought, sensing that something was off about this whole encounter.

"Perhaps this is Aizen's attempt at unnerving us even further." Ryuken mused, getting several nods of agreement from those present.

"True… if we didn't have enough proof that Ichigo is in Hueco Mundo, dead or alive, then now we do." Urahara added, seeing some logic to the Quincy's statement.

"The cloaked arrancar was a strange one…" Ryuken trailed off as he recalled his brief encounter with the hollow.

"He emitted no spiritual pressure and yet his speed was something that I have never before encountered." Ryuken added.

"You fought him Captain Hitsugaya. Perhaps you can tell us what happened." Urahara reasoned as he turned to the silver haired captain.

"I deduced that the arrancar had massive amounts of strength and speed but was incapable of using spiritual pressure. It is possible that this is a new creature that Aizen has created with the Hogyoku." Hitsugaya mused.

"That would explain the speed he possessed… but would it be possible to do so, Urahara?" Ryuken asked.

"The Hogyoku isn't something I was able to fully understand… but I was not present to see the fight, so my opinion is as good as anyone else's in this case." Urahara replied.

"Perhaps this is something that should be discussed at a later date, no?" Yoruichi asked to no one in particular, noticing that the conversation was getting nowhere.

"Yes… I will bring it up at after the beach trip. If I did it before then, my lieutenant would never let me hear the end of it." Hitsugaya practically whined, eliciting several chuckles from those present.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room **_

"Lord Aizen." Gin called as he entered the throne room to see Aizen sitting on his high perch at the end of the room.

"Yes Gin, what is it?" Aizen asked, half guessing what Gin was going to tell him.

"All the preparations have been made and we should be able to have our little beach day tomorrow." Gin stated, his grin widening as he finished.

"Ah, very good… Kaname." Aizen said, prompting the blind Soul Reaper to flash step into existence.

"Sir." Tosen said, giving a slight bow to Aizen.

"I would ask that you and Gin gather the Espada and the fraccion that will be attending so that I may relay this information." Aizen requested, immediately after which the two ex-captains used flash step to do as they were asked.

_**Deserts of Hueco Mundo: Far off from Las Noches (Some Time Later)**_

"I needed this." Ichigo said as he took a deep breath before firing cero after cero off into the distance, not at all caring what this would do to the desert.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Ichigo roared, sending a pure white cero rampaging through the air and detonating what seemed to be miles away.

"You know, since I'm all the way out here I may as well try something new." Ichigo mused as he outstretched both of his hands and raised their respective index fingers.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Chamber's **_

"Welcome everyone." Aizen greeted as he took his seat at the head of the table, with Gin and Tosen at his sides.

"What is this about, Lord Aize…" Starrk began to ask before a massive surge of spiritual energy seemed to shake the very foundation of Las Noches.

'_What the hell was that?' _Most everyone wondered with wide eyes, having never felt anything like this before.

"Ah, it would appear that Ichigo is still off training." Aizen reasoned, shocking those who had not been able to witness his power as of yet.

"He's training?" Nnoitora exclaimed.

"This spiritual pressure isn't all that impressive." Barragan huffed, truly sounding as if he wasn't impressed.

"Ulquiorra." Aizen addressed, ceasing any opinions on the matter from being mentioned for the time being.

"Yes, Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Bring Ichigo back to Las Noches as quickly as you are able." Aizen ordered, eliciting a nod from Ulquiorra before he used sonido to preform what was asked of him.

_**Deserts of Hueco Mundo: Far off from Las Noches **_

"That… attack… takes a lot out… of me." Ichigo said in between pants, allowing his hands to fall to his sides.

'_Even so, the destructive capabilities are certainly something else.' _Ichigo thought as he saw that before him as far as the eye could see, a massive crater existed where his attack had fired.

'_I should definitely hold off on using that until I have better control of it.' _Ichigo reasoned before the buzz of sonido filled the air.

"You have a remarkably consistent ability to alter the landscape of Hueco Mundo." Ulquiorra complimented, causing Ichigo to release a slight chuckle.

"Thanks, I think." Ichigo replied.

A minute passed as neither of the two said anything, though it was painfully obvious that Ulquiorra had something on his mind he wished to ask.

"If you have something to say…" Ichigo trailed off.

"I know." Ulquiorra abruptly stated, confusing Ichigo.

"You know what?" Ichigo asked.

"I know of your second release… your Segunda Etapa." Ulquiorra clarified, causing Ichigo to slightly widen his eyes in shock.

'_How can he even know what it is?' _Ichigo wondered, confused on the matter.

"Did Halibel tell you?" Ichigo guessed, though Ulquiorra shook his head in response.

"I was not aware she knew of the release, has she seen it then?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"When we were in the Menos Forest, I used my full strength to kill the Vasto Lorde king quickly." Ichigo answered.

"I do however wish to see it with my own eyes." Ulquiorra requested.

"Now why exactly would I do that? More importantly, how do you know what it is, or even that I have it?" Ichigo asked.

Silence coated the air for the next few minutes with neither of the two speaking a word, just giving each other a calculating stare.

Ulquiorra abruptly took his sword out of its sheathe and pointed it at Ichigo, an action that confused him greatly.

"What are you…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"Enclose, Murcielago." Ulquiorra uttered.

Immediately after the release phrase was sounded pitch black spiritual pressure with a green outlining began to surge into the sky, coming to the ground like drops of rain due to its intensity.

"So that is your release." Ichigo mused as he observed the wings that now appeared on Ulquiorra's back and his other subtly changes in appearance.

Black spiritual pressure began to spiral around Ulquiorra into the sky, though this spirit energy was denser than before, and its power was significantly different in magnitude. The black energy entrapped Ulquiorra for a brief instant before subsiding to reveal the form of true despair.

'_Is that…' _Ichigo thought before his would be question was answered.

"Resurreción, Segunda Etapa." Ulquiorra uttered, now in his final form. The gray teardrop patters that fell from his eyes after his initial release were now thicker and darker in color. His sclara had become dark green, and his eyes became a shade of gold. In place of the clothing he had dawned in his first release, black fur was now present, and a thin tail now protruded from his back. The most noticeable change, however, was the disappearance of his mask fragment.

"So this is how you knew about it, this is how you are the Cuarto Espada, and this is why you were the strongest of the former Espada." Ichigo reasoned, getting a nod from Ulquiorra as a response.

"Alright then." Ichigo said as he brought his blade out of its sheath and placed his hand over the flat end just above the hilt.

"Pierce the Heart, Zangetsu." Ichigo uttered, releasing his sword in an explosion of dark crimson spiritual energy, though its magnitude was nowhere near the level of ferocity that it once was due to his better control.

'_This is it.' _Ulquiorra though in anticipation as Ichigo began to be surrounded by pure black spiritual pressure, laced with red.

Like it had with Ulquiorra the spiritual pressure spiraled around him before enclosing on him in one brief boom of spiritual pressure. As the energy subsided Ichigo stood, just like Ulquiorra, in his second form.

"Is there any particular reason you wanted to see this form so badly that you showed me something I doubt even Aizen has seen?" Ichigo asked as Ulquiorra eyed his new form with interest.

"What makes you believe I have not told Lord Aizen of this form?" Ulquiorra inquired.

"Two things… firstly , if you had, your previous rank would have not been Cuarto. Secondly, if you had shown him he would not have been surprised that in the new rankings of the Espada you were still the Cuarto." Ichigo answered.

"To actually answer your question…" Ulquiorra began.

"I wished to see because I am… was… the only Espada capable of using this form. You could say I find it interesting that another was able to reach the same level as myself." Ulquiorra explained.

"I gain some semblance of comfort knowing that I no longer have to keep my full power a secret, but I do want you to know that I have no intention of telling others about your second release." Ulquiorra stated.

"However, my purpose in coming here was not to see your Segunda Etapa firsthand. Aizen is holding a meeting and asked that I come to get you." Ulquiorra added.

"Then let's get going." Ichigo said as he dropped his transformation, an action mimicked by Ulquiorra. As soon as the two had returned to their unaltered forms, they used sonido to head towards Las Noches.

_**Soul Society: Captain's Meeting Room **_

"I hereby call this meeting to order." Yamamoto's voice boomed down the squad one meeting room.

"Our only order of business for today is a lighter note from that of previous meetings. I am of course referring to the suggestion of squad ten's lieutenant." Yamamoto stated, causing Rangiku to smile.

"The Gigai have been prepared, courtesy of Kisuke Urahara, and a beach has been rented in the world of the living near Karakura Town." Yamamoto continued.

"I will now state the names of those who will not be attending." Yamamoto said.

"The captain of squad one, and its lieutenant, must remain in the Soul Society for obvious reasons. The lieutenant of squad two is required to stay behind in order to fulfill the obligations of the Stealth Force during the absence of its captain. The lieutenant of squad three has requested to stay behind due to the recent defection of its captain and the current turmoil of the squad. The captain and lieutenant of squad seven have requested to stay behind in order to keep the peace in the absence of so many Soul Reapers. The lieutenant of squad nine has requested to stay behind for the same reasons as Lieutenant Kira. The captain of squad twelve has requested to stay behind in order to work on important research, which I have granted." Yamamoto stated.

"Captain Zaraki… although your reason for no one being able to fight you in the world of the living is not a valid excuse, I have decided that you are permitted to stay behind provided you assist the others in helping to keep the peace." Yamamoto added.

"Tch." Kenpatchi grunted.

"There is one thing I need to add, head captain." Urahara said, prompting Yamamoto to nod, telling him to continue.

"We were only able to rent out half of the beach… apparently some other group had some pull with the owner, so I would ask that all of you keep to our side of the beach since they are human. The beach is pretty huge though so it shouldn't be a problem." Urahara explained.

"Those who are attending will meet at my shop on the other end of the Senkaimon, after which we head off to the beach." Urahara said excitedly.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Room **_

"Glad you decided to show up Primera." Grimmjow joked as Ichigo and Ulquiorra walked into the room.

"Sorry about that, needed to let off some steam after being so constricted in that damn cloak." Ichigo said, though many did not know what he was talking about.

"I am working on fixing that issue at the moment Ichigo, but for the time being I would ask that you take a seat at the table." Aizen replied, prompting Ichigo to take the open seat next to Nel and Halibel and directly across from Starrk.

"I called this meeting to inform you that all of the preparations for our trip to the world of the living have been made." Aizen stated after Ichigo and Ulquiorra had sat down.

"The Gigai have been placed in your rooms for when we depart. However, Barragan has requested that he not be in attendance, and I have decided that he shall watch over Las Noches during our absence." Aizen added.

'_As it should be.' _Barragan thought arrogantly.

"I feel I should point out that the fraccion of the Primera, Segunda, Tercera, and Sexta will also be in attendance and I have created Gigai for them as well." Szayel stated.

"Wait a second… what are we going to do about swimsuits?" Ichigo asked, realizing that a day at the beach usually required something in that regard.

"I had Gin pick outfits out for everyone who will be in attendance." Aizen explained.

Everyone immediately shifted their eyes to Gin, who currently had that characteristic grin of his etched on his face as he stretched a tape measure in his hands repeatedly.

This action caused every female present to shoot him a death glare for obvious reasons, and many of the males to shudder.

"Due to the Gigai Szayel has created, the measurements were already known, so Gin, you can put the tape measure away." Aizen said, causing Gin to chuckle.

"Oooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned.

"I agree Wonderweiss. I did not find it funny either." Tosen said.

"That's because you're blind and have no sense of humor." Gin joked, causing a few members of the Espada to laugh.

"I would also ask that you use sunscreen in order to keep the Gigai in the best condition possible. Szayel went to great pains to ready them as quickly as he did, and it would be a shame if he needed to create anymore." Aizen said.

"What is 'sunscreen'?" Nel asked confusedly, voicing the question that was on the minds of each of the arrancar.

"Sunscreen is just a white liquid that you apply to your skin so you don't get burned." Ichigo explained, causing a snicker to erupt from Nnoitora.

"Something funny Nnoitora?" Aizen asked with a raised brow.

"Just trying to imagine how pale Ulquiorra would be if he used that 'sunscreen' stuff." Nnoitora joked before practically falling out of his chair, an action that was mimicked by Grimmjow and, oddly enough, Yammy.

'_Idiots.' _Ulquiorra thought in annoyance.

"When do we depart, Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked, ignoring the joke that Nnoitora had just made.

"Tomorrow morning… though Gin was only able to secure half of a beach outside of Karakura Town. This should be enough given the size of this beach, but I would ask that you avoid wandering too far off considering that the other group will be mere humans, and we can't have the Soul Society intervening." Aizen replied.

"You may do as you wish for the rest of the evening, but tomorrow morning we will meet in the throne room, after which we will depart for the world of the living." Aizen stated before getting up and leaving the room.

"Seems like this should be fun." Apacci said as she walked out of the room behind several members of the Espada.

"I agree, sounds like a good chance to relax." Nel replied.

"Iunno, sounds like it'll be a hassle." Starrk said.

"I'd figure you'd love the beach, nothing to do but sleep in the sun, or the shade." Ichigo said, causing Starrk to release a slight chuckle.

"Yeah, I suppose your right." Starrk replied, actually believing that this might turn out to be enjoyable.

"I will see you all tomorrow morning. I'm kinda tired after today." Ichigo said before using sonido to head to his room.

"What will you do Risha?" Nel asked, turning to Ichigo's reserved fraccion.

"The same." Risha stated before using sonido, only to travel to Ichigo's room so as to inform him.

_**Las Noches: Outside of Ichigo's Room (Several Moments Later)**_

"I'm beat." Ichigo said as he stifled a yawn.

"Master." Risha called as she appeared behind Ichigo via sonido.

"Gah!" Ichigo yelped upon his fraccion once again getting the jump on him.

"You know I hate it when you call me that." Ichigo said tiredly as he turned to face her.

"Apologies master." Risha replied, causing Ichigo to sigh.

"Something the matter?" Risha asked, noticing Ichigo's frustration.

"No… nothing at all. I do want to ask why you came to see me." Ichigo replied, though his words were followed by a minute of absolute silence.

'_She seems hesitant for some reason.' _Ichigo thought as he saw some form of confusion on Risha's face.

"I just wished to tell you I would also be retiring to my room. That is all." Risha stated before using sonido to disappear.

"That was strange." Ichigo thought aloud as he turned to face his door.

"They do a good job of fixing this place… whoever 'they is." Ichigo commented as he opened the door, noticing that it was in the same condition it was in before he was punched through it earlier that day.

'_Time to sleep.' _Ichigo thought as he took off his uniform and crashed on his bed.

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room (Several hours later) **_

"No…" Risha uttered as she tossed around sporadically on her bed.

"No…" Risha repeated as her movements became more violent.

_**Risha's Dreamscape **_

Within the desert of Hueco Mundo, a Vasto Lorde sat over what appeared to be a female adjuchas, seemingly giving it orders.

"Risha, just kills the damn hollow and be done with it." Straga ordered his hesitant subordinate.

"I do not wish to kill another being that cannot defend itself." Risha replied defiantly.

"Insolent girl, you need to grow stronger if you are to be of any use to me. Remember I could have killed you, but I sensed you had potential and graciously allowed you to live." Straga stated.

"Now do as you are told!" Straga shouted.

'_I'm sorry.' _Risha thought as trusted her hand into the chest of the male hollow that was in front of her, killing him instantly.

"Now devour his remains." Straga ordered, causing Risha to gasp.

"If you wish to become stronger you must eat, this hollow was strong, and you will grow rapidly as I defeat more and more of them and have you devour them." Straga explained.

'_I vow… that the moment you are defeated I will gladly serve whoever they are. I vow that I will use the power you forced onto me in order to help one who has a pure heart.' _Risha though as she reluctantly devoured the hollow as she was ordered.

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room **_

"Gah!" Risha screamed as her upper body shot up from her bed. She was covered with a liar of sweat, and her breathing was heavy.

"Damn that vile man." Risha spat as she wiped the sweat off of her face.

"These dreams will forever be the curse of the power I obtained through serving him." Risha said in a sad tone, a look of sheer regret coming to her face.

"Perhaps… he can offer me some advice." Risha mused before getting out of her bead and using sonido do vanish.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"You know it rude to interrupt someone when they sleep." Ichigo mumbled from his position of rest on his bed.

"Forgive me Ichigo, but I need to talk to you about something." Risha replied, shocking Ichigo by the use of his actual name.

'_This must be serious_._' _Ichigo thought as he brought his upper body off of the bed and turned to face Risha.

"Take a seat." Ichigo said, patting a spot on the bed where Risha could sit.

"So what is it you need to talk to me about?" Ichigo inquired, his voice full of concern as the look on Risha's face sent a jolt of sorrow through his body.

"Your memories return to you as you rest, correct?" Risha asked, confusing Ichigo slightly.

"Sometimes they do." Ichigo replied, causing Risha to nod in understanding.

"Why do you ask?" Ichigo questioned, causing Risha to look away, seemingly out of embarrassment.

"I know that you remembered the death of your mother… Nelliel told me what you had told her." Risha began.

"I want to know how you dealt with those images that haunted you coming back. I want to know how to be at peace with your past." Risha stated cryptically.

"Risha… what is this about?" Ichigo questioned, noticing that Risha winced at his question being asked.

"I… I have nightmares… as I sleep… they are of my time as a hollow." Risha replied, as tears started to fall from her eyes at a slow pace.

"You know I served Straga… but what I did not tell you is that I had served him prior to becoming a Vasto Lorde. He made me strong… but what he made me do to become stronger…" Risha choked up, bringing her hands to her eyes as she started to sob.

"Risha…" Ichigo began in a comforting tone.

"I'm sorry for being like this." Risha apologized, failing to stop her tears from falling.

"You don't have to fight emotions. No matter what they are, bottling them up will only cause you to suffer in the end." Ichigo replied causing Risha to gasp.

"So you're not mad?' Risha asked, surprised by Ichigo's answer.

"Why would I be?" Ichigo questioned, causing Risha to smile at him, though tears still came from her eyes.

"You need to accept that you did those things, just as I needed to accept the death of my mother and the fact that it ultimately wasn't my fault. Our memories make us who we are and we cannot run from them." Ichigo stated.

"If that's the case then I'm a terrible person." Risha replied in a saddened tone.

"In your case… you didn't like what that bastard made you do, right?" Ichigo asked, eliciting a small nod from Risha.

"Then that doesn't make you a bad person." Ichigo said in an attempt to comfort Risha.

"I suppose you are right." Risha conceded.

"I… I'm glad that I am at where I am now… and you are right." Risha added.

"I'm glad that you feel better." Ichigo stated, prompting Risha to give him a genuine smile as her tears ceased falling.

"Ichigo… above all else, I'm glad that I met you… and I am happy to serve you." Risha said, her voice full of honesty as she looked directly into Ichigo's eyes.

"You don't serve, you follow." Ichigo corrected, causing Risha to laugh lightly. A moment of silence passed, Ichigo just looking confusedly at Risha and Risha suddenly taking an interest in the floor of Ichigo's bedroom.

"Ichigo…" Risha began in a sheepish tone.

"Yes?" Ichigo asked, confused as to why Risha all of a sudden seemed shy.

"Can… can I stay with you for the night. I feel… safe when I'm around you and I would greatly appreciate it." Risha replied, not meeting Ichigo's eyes as she spoke.

"Of course Risha." Ichigo said as he lay back down on the bed. To him it wasn't odd, it was just a means to comfort someone in need.

Risha widened her eyes in shock for a brief moment before pulling the blanket over herself and cuddling up next to Ichigo.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked nervously as Risha nuzzled her head into his chest.

"Feeling safe." Risha replied as she shut her eyes and wrapped her legs around Ichigo's.

'_This seems familiar.' _Ichigo thought, though he shook it off as he closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep.

He didn't know how he knew, but he could tell that Risha was smiling as she slept next to him, her long black hair barely touching his chin, and her legs intertwined with his own.

'_You're a good man, Ichigo Kurosaki.' _Risha thought as she allowed sleep to take her.

**A/N Okay, so the next chapter will be posted on Friday, that's all I got. **

_**Explanations**_**: **

**Ichigo's attack**: I know what it is, but you won't *grin's evilly*

**Ichigo vs his Friends, re**: I will just say this to clarify, the limiters are no longer required due to emergency war time protocol, I said this in what I think was Chapter 8 but I don't really know off of the top of my head.

**The Beach**: Next chapter so you'll just have to wait!

**Ichigo and Ulquiorra**: Ulquiorra is mildly fascinated by the fact that Ichigo seems to be the only being that is on the same level as himself. True Despair can get lonely, after all.

**Risha's Dreams**: As you could probably guess, even before this chapter, she never really wanted to evolve into a Vasto Lorde by consuming other hollows, but she was forced to do so, obviously. The reason she hides her emotions was because that was how she was bread by Straga. Whenever she showed regret or 'feelings' of any kind, she was berated.

**The Harem**: I have decided to add character tags to this story for the three characters that are/will be in it. I can't say it will come easily for Ichigo, but it'll get there. Also, I suppose I should point out that the list of the three/Risha is subject to change, depends on what people want, but that will be all for this story, more may be added in the sequel by popular demand.

_**Reviews**_:

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, he got broked'd by the three ladies. And yes, she will be.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: No problem, ask any questions you might have and I hope I can answer them, but I might not always be able to do so considering I don't want to reveal the plot xD

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, also you should feel bad for him, but this chapter is proof that I don't _actually can_ end a chapter well without using a cliffhanger!

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Yes, you were correct sir. He didn't forget, but again, he likely doesn't suspect that they will be going at the exact same time, I mean, what are the odds of that *grins*. What will become of Karin and the pocket watch will be shown shortly, but other stuff had to happen and Isshin will eventually tell them the truth, even Yuzu.

**FinalDemon**: I don't know how to respond to this one… O_O

**Guest(1)**: Okay, I changed it for you! :)

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Yes, very rare indeed.

**darkmachines**: Okay, thanks, that part confused me, went back and fixed it! You are correct on the update patter, I will make that "official" in the near future, and it is a Stern Ritter, that much is decided, I might even make him an OC if I really want to do so.

**joe**: No problem.

**Kiwifan7**: Now you know!

**Kami no Uzumaki**: I believe you changed your profile pick, looks nice! I am NOT going to be bringing in his mother for _this _story. That was a path I thought of taking, but then I decided on something else. It was a really, really good guess by the way, so I give you virtual props. Thanks for your compliments, I appreciate t whenever one is given to me! Also, yeah the Karin conversation will come at a later date, and not even Isshin will be able to "talk" his way out of that one. Also, yes, Aizen intends to use Ichigo as a failsafe because of the fact that he is a "perfect" hybrid. He isn't a transcendant being, but I don't picture the spirit king as being one. I mean, what kind of king hides in another dimension guarded by the strongest Soul Reapers in existence? Doesn't really make sense. I mean, he must be _strong_ but not like a god or something like that. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Ryden Purrson**: Thanks, glad to see you liked the fight scenes. They were not wearing their limiters, but that is because they no longer require them to be worn, which I stated earlier, though it was around chapter eight, so I don't expect people to remember. The reason he didn't go all out was because he was in a "capture" mentality, but that backfired, so… yeah. And yes, Hakuda is one of Ichigo's strongpoint's, imagine his surprise when he finally remembers who taught him about it.

**hornet07**: Thanks, I corrected it, and yes, indeed Ikkaku does. Also, fair point, ancient Nazis would be difficult to make interesting… but I like a challenge *grins evilly* anyway, rest assured that I haven't landed on what story I will do next, but rest assured I will do my best to make it great.

**friaku**: Thanks for the compliment, but no, the limiters are not required anymore.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, that reaction will be coming shortly, for now TO THE BEACH!

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it!

**Fire0770**: Yup, you guess it! Yes, Ryuken aiming for Lilynette was a bit harsh, but hey, its war and she was the easiest target. Plus, he is a Quincy, they kill hollows. Also, don't mention it, the pic still looks good!

**gtrain20**:TY for the compliment!

**QuasWexQuas**: Now you know, also thanks!

**BleachFan21**: Not this time! Also, glad to hear it and here you go.


	29. Just Another Day at the Beach

**A/N Here is the long awaited/alluded to Bleach beach chapter! For the sake of visuals, the Soul Reapers are, more or less, wearing what they had worn in the usual beach episode but there are a few exceptions. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 29**

"C-can I stay with you for the night. I feel… safe when I'm around you and I would greatly appreciate it." Risha replied, not meeting Ichigo's eyes as she spoke.

"Of course Risha." Ichigo said as he lay back down on the bed.

Risha widened her eyes in shock for a brief moment before pulling the blanket over herself and cuddling up next to Ichigo.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked nervously as Risha nuzzled her head into his chest.

"Feeling safe." Risha replied as she shut her eyes and wrapped her legs around Ichigo's.

'_This seems familiar.' _Ichigo thought, though he shook it off as he closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep.

He didn't know how he knew, but he could tell that Risha was smiling as she slept next to him, her long black hair barely touching his chin, and her legs intertwined with his own.

'_You're a good man Ichigo Kurosaki.' _Risha thought as she allowed sleep to take her.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room (The next Morning)**_

"Ichigo." A male voice called form the other side of Ichigo's door, effectively waking him from his sleep.

For a brief moment, he rubbed his eyes, trying to shrug off any residual feelings of tiredness before answering.

"Come in." Ichigo replied, prompting a male, green-eyed Espada to enter the room. Ulquiorra's mask fragment was now gone, showing a clear change in appearance. He now wore a white tank top with a light green swimsuit, and black sandals, revealing himself to be in his Gigai.

"I am here to inform you…" Ulquiorra said before stopping midsentence as he saw that Ichigo was currently not alone in his bed. At his side was Risha, still resting her head on Ichigo's chest, her eyes closed to show that she was still lost in sleep.

"Not another one…" Ulquiorra mumbled incoherently whilst he shook his head amusedly. At this, Ulquiorra allowed a slight, and very rare, smirk of amusement to form on his lips, if only for a moment.

He was perfectly aware of the fact that Ichigo was currently the… object of desire… for the two female Espada, as were several others that bothered to pay any attention to the mannerisms of the two in question when they were around Ichigo.

To be honest the entire concept was strange to him, an arrancar developing feelings of any kind was very unusual. True, they were given the ability to think as intelligent beings and appeared to be modified versions of Soul Reapers in some cases, but other than that, what people would define as "pleasant" feelings weren't really something that were shown. But perhaps that was a side effect of their upbringing, consuming souls really isn't something a compassionate being was in the business of doing, after all.

"Is there a particular reason that your fraccion is currently sharing your bed?" Ulquiorra asked with a neutral expression once again present on his face.

"She told me she was prone to nightmares that kept her from sleeping due to her past as a hollow. When she came to speak to me about it last night we talked, and she told me she felt safe when she was around me then asked if she could stay. I said yes." Ichigo answered.

The expression on his face and the lack of wavering in his tone was something that Ulquiorra took note of, and that slightly confused him due to the fact that it likely meant he allowed his fraccion to stay with him purely for the reason of comforting her. However, it also told him that Ichigo clearly didn't understand the implications of her words and the subsequent question.

"How can someone with such a keen pesquisa be so unbelievable dense?" Ulquiorra wondered aloud.

If Ichigo's answer reflected what he truly believed, perhaps he really was that dense. Perhaps he really wasn't aware of the affections the three possessed for him, but that should be impossible… or so he thought.

"You say something?" Ichigo asked, not having herd Ulquiorra's comment.

"Nothing at all Ichigo." Ulquiorra replied, releasing a barely audible chuckle as he finished.

'_That is the first time, if ever, that I recall laughing.' _Ulquiorra thought, being surprised by his own action, though he quickly shrugged it off.

"Ichigo…" Risha whispered as she woke up and lifted her head from his chest to see that Ulquiorra was currently standing in the room.

"Ah, you're awake as well… good. Lord Aizen has asked that I inform you and the others we are about to depart." Ulquiorra stated a moment before turning to leave.

"Your Gigai is in your own room Risha… I suggest you go there." Ulquiorra added before walking out of the room.

"Ichigo…" Risha said as she looked up at Ichigo from her position on his chest.

A minute passed as neither of the two said a thing, simply staring into each other's eyes, refusing to break their gaze.

'_Should I?' _Risha wondered.

"Risha, what did you…" Ichigo said, only to be cut off a moment later, though not by speech.

Once Ichigo had broken the silence that elapsed after Ulquiorra had left, Risha brought her head towards his and captured his lips in an affectionate kiss, leaving a completely shocked Ichigo. Risha held her lips to his for as long as she was able before coming out for air, giggling slightly as she saw how wide Ichigo's eyes were.

'_Did she just kiss me?' _Ichigo thought out of a mix of confusion and surprise.

"Thank you Ichigo… for everything." Risha said with her voice full of honesty as she got up from the bed before using sonido a moment later to leave the room.

"At least she isn't calling me master." Ichigo thought aloud before beginning to search for his Gigai.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room **_

"Exited for the beach day Lord Aizen?" Gin asked as he along with Tosen and Aizen waited in the throne room for the others. Gin was wearing a white tank top with a red and black swimsuit.

On the right side of his swimsuit was the small picture of a teal-colored three tailed fox, fitting for Gin's personality.

"I suppose that it will be an enjoyable experience." Aizen replied.

Aizen wore a black tank top with white swim trunks. His swimsuit was bland in design with the exception of the black stripes that went down the sides of the garment.

"What about you Kaname? Don't you want to see the beach for the first time?" Gin joked.

"I'd enjoy seeing anything for the first time, Ichimaru." Tosen calmly replied. He was wearing an orange tank top and pure black swim trunks, sweet and simple.

"Ah, it appears the first of them have arrived." Aizen observed as the doors to the throne room opened, revealing Starrk and Lilynette walking through followed by Grimmjow and Nnoitora.

None of the males wore a shirt but their swimsuits were distinctly different. Starrk wore light blue swim trunks with no distinct features other than a white husky that was pasted on the left side of his bathing suit. Grimmjow and Nnoitora both wore bland swimsuits of different colors, Grimmjow's being dark blue and Nnoitora's being sage. The one common feature between the three, however, were the black flip-flops that each wore.

Lilynette wore a magenta colored one piece bikini with no discernible features,. Her swimsuit practically matching her eyes in color, which stood out more without her mask fragment present.

"Hope we're not late." Starrk said as he walked up to the three Soul Reapers, hands in the pickets of his swim trunks.

"Not at all, we are still wai…" Aizen said before being cut off.

"Oooooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned as he entered the room via sonido, landing directly next to Tosen.

Wonderweiss wore no shirt and bright red swim trunks that were marked by the pattern of Menos Grande in chibi form that were spread throughout the suit.

"Where did you even find those, Gin?" Aizen asked, having noticed the trunks Wonderweiss was wearing.

"I had them custom made. Thought they'd fit him nicely." Gin replied, prompting Wonderweiss to nod his head in approval.

A moment later, Halibel and Nel walked into the room, each followed by their respective fraccion.

Nel wore a somewhat tight green bikini that ever so slightly brought out the light shade of blue in her hair. To her right stood Pesche, who wore a white tank top and purple swim trunks and to her left stood Dondochakka, who worse no shirt, but had yellow swim trunks with black polka dots spread out in no particular patter.

Halibel wore a yellow bikini with the image of a blue great white shark showing on the piece of the garment that covered her right breast, characteristic of her Resurreción.

Behind her, Apacci wore a black one piece bikini, Mila Rose wore a pure white bikini with no additional features, and Sung-Sun wore what appeared to be a standard pink bikini which was difficult to see due to the thin, white shirt with extra long sleeves that concealed her upper body.

A moment later Szayel and Ulquiorra appeared via sonido. Szayel, oddly enough, wearing a pink bathing suit and no shirt, though he did wear a pair of glasses that were similar to his mask fragment. Ulquiorra was simply wearing the outfit he had on when he woke up Ichigo.

"Ichigo and his fraccion will arrive shortly Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra stated as he walked up to the group.

"What's taking them so long anyway?" Grimmjow asked rhetorically.

"I could think of a few things." Nnoitora joked, causing most every female in the room to glare at him.

'_Given what I saw this morning, it wouldn't surprise me.' _Ulquiorra thought ironically, though he decided to keep that bit of information to himself at risk of sounding like trash. On top of that, if the Ichigo-shaped holes in the wall he came across the previous day told him anything, there were, at least, two women in the room that would either make him explain what he had met, or wring his neck, both of which were not preferable since one undoubtedly would lead to the other.

"Seems Yammy is here." Gin said as he saw the large arrancar walk through the doors to the throne room, appearing to be a pack mule with all of the things he was carrying.

Yammy wore no shirt and a plain red swimsuit. Gin had considered it somewhat lucky that he could find anything that would fit the large arrancar due to the fact that Szayel hadn't reduced the size of his Gigai for convenience's sake.

"Why do I have to carry all this crap?" Yammy grumbled, feeling like a literal ass.

"You won't have to for long Yammy. We just need to wait for Ichigo and Risha to arrive." Aizen replied in a smooth tone, though Yammy just grunted in response.

The buzz of sonido filled the air as Ichigo and Risha appeared in the center of the throne room and began to approach the group.

Ichigo was wearing a brown swimsuit along with a red Hawaiian-looking shirt and a beetle-like necklace with a red center. To his right, stood Risha in an outfit that was just as provocative as that of Halibel's and Nelliel's.

Risha wore a skimpy black bikini with thin lacing and a red rose with a green stem on each of her respective breasts. The color of the suit matched her hair and highlighted her eyes perfectly.

'_I wonder if Gin intended this.' _Ulquiorra thought as he took notice of how each of the females appeared, specifically Halibel, Nel, and Risha. Gin was a curious character, but he often took some form of joy in disrupting the lives of the inhabitants of Las Noches. Why Aizen allowed him to do this, he never bothered to ask.

"Hello Ichigo." Halibel greeted, being the first to do so.

Ichigo's eyes were immediately brought to her, after which his eyes appeared to stick to her figure like glue. It appeared that this was Halibel's intent, which was evident by what happened next.

"Like what you see?" Halibel asked teasingly, giving off a knowing smirk to Ichigo. For once, she had something to thank Gin for.

"Ummmm…" Ichigo rambled, his face becoming redder by the second.

'_I'll take that as a yes._' Halibel thought to herself, quite pleased with the reaction she got.

Many people started to chuckle lightly, however Nel and Risha, not wanting to be outdone, simply put in the back of their minds to do something similar later.

"It appears that everyone is present." Aizen stated before turning his head to Gin who proceeded to open a Garganta behind him.

"Everyone may enter, though Yammy will have to be last due to the fact that he is carrying our beach equipment." Aizen stated before walking into the black hole.

'_Dammit.' _Yammy thought in annoyance, though he was relieved they were leaving.

_**World of the Living: Beach outside of Karakura Town **_

"What a glorious day!" Urahara chirped as he stabbed an umbrella into the ground, admiring the view of the ocean as the sun rose.

Urahara had a sage bathing suit with white stripes, wore no shirt, but kept his characteristic hat and clogs.

"It sure is." Yoruichi replied as she set down a blanket and began to soak up some sun. She was wearing an orange bikini with bits of yellow and dark orange that formed patters over each part of the outfit.

'_Normally I would have so much fun teasing Ichigo about being on a beach surrounded by women wearing next to nothing.' _Yoruichi couldn't help but think.

'_But I shouldn't think about things like that… I am here to relax.' _Yoruichi mentally reminded herself. Plus, it was too nice of a day to think about those kinds of things.

"Yoruichi, you could help us set up before you start to relax." Urahara deadpanned, breaking Yoruichi out of her thoughts.

"I'm sure you'll be happy to do the extra work so that she can do so Urahara." Soifon said, her tone suggestive that Urahara best let Yoruichi enjoy herself.

"Hehehe…" Urahara laughed nervously as he held his hands up defensively and began to shy away from the Goddess of the Flash.

Soifon was currently wearing a light purple one piece with a light green scarf-like garment wrapped around her waist, covering her thighs and part of her lower right leg.

"We are here to relax after everything that happed, after all." Rukia stated as she walked onto the beach with Yachiru and Nemu in toe.

Rukia wore a white and purple hoody that covered her bikini, which wrapped around her breasts. The bikini itself was red and white with pink horizontal stripes. Yachiru wore relatively the same thing as Rukia, though she didn't have a hoody and her bikini was red with white polka dots as opposed to stripes. Behind them, Nemu wore a simple dark blue one piece bikini.

"Where is everyone else? We need to get the stuff set up quickly." Urahara said, noticing that no one else was following the group of three girls.

"Most of the boys are carrying the beach equipment because Ikkaku made a comment about how men should always be the providers so Rangiku made the point that they should all carry the stuff, and the rest of the girls stayed behind to laugh at them." Rukia explained.

"It seems that they have arrived." Nemu pointed out as she looked back at the entrance.

The boys acted like pack mules with the exception of Byakuya, Kyoraku, and Ukitake, one out of laziness and the other two due to the fact that their subordinates wouldn't let them lift a finger.

"Sorry it took us so long, we were delayed." Byakuya stated as he walked towards Rukia and the others. Byakuya wore a white hoodie along with black swim trunks and was uncharacteristically without his traditional noble hair accessories.

"Thanks for that Ikkaku." Renji grumbled from besides the bald headed Soul Reaper who was currently wearing no more than a red mawashi. Renji himself wore a plain white tank top, a white bandana, and black swim trunks, mimicking his captain as far as color coordination went.

"Shut it Renji." Ikkaku replied.

"If you had just admitted that girls can do anything guys can do, we'd have helped you." Rangiku said, much to Ikkaku's annoyance. The busty Soul Reaper lieutenant was wearing a white bikini with pink flowers spread on its sections, though if one were to ask her, it complimented her figure, or rather exposed it, perfectly.

"As if I would ever do that." Ikkaku scoffed.

"And that's why we didn't help you." Nanao piped in. She was currently wearing a red bikini with black lacing, something her captain had suggested.

"Like we needed it." Ikkaku replied.

"Honestly Ikkaku, quit while you're behind." Yumichika chided from beside his fellow squad member. He was currently wearing no shirt and a swimsuit that was a combination of red and yellow patterns, matching the colors of the accessory he traditionally wore on his right eye.

"Now, now, all of the stuff is here so there's no need to fight." Kyoraku reasoned.

"I agree Shunsui. It's just too nice a day for something so foolish." Ukitake stated in agreement.

Kyoraku wore his traditional kimono and hat in addition to a light red bathing suit. Interestingly enough, the only thing he bothered to carry was the sake and the saucers. Ukitake was wearing a plain white bathing suit, though with the way his subordinates were following him, he appeared to have additional accessories.

"I agree captain." Sentaro and Kiyone replied simultaneously, only to glare at each other once they realized what had happened.

"I agreed first!" The two exclaimed in unison as they butted heads. Sentaro wore a purple speedo and a white headband while Kiyone wore a light green one piece bikini.

"Do they always fight this much?" Orihime asked no one in general. She was wearing a banana yellow bikini with a green flower present on her left breast.

"Normally, yes." Unohana replied. She wore a white one piece bikini with purple and pink flowers spread throughout the garment.

"Hey, where did Captain Hitsugaya run off to?" Rangiku asked as she began to look around the group for her captain.

"I think he went to the snack shack with Uryu and Chad." Orihime replied, immediately after which Rangiku started to run off.

'_You're not getting off that easily.' _Rangiku thought as she continued to run towards the shop.

"Wait for me Rangiku!" Momo shouted as she ran after her fellow lieutenant. She currently wore a pink bikini with no outstanding features.

"Alright, now I suppose we should get everything set up." Kyoraku mused.

_**Other End of the Beach **_

"So this is what a beach looks like." Sung-Sun thought aloud as the arrancar finished setting up their beach equipment.

"Well du." Apacci joked, much to Sung-Sun's irritation.

"We're supposed to relax, no need to fight today ladies." Halibel lightly chided, preemptively putting an end to whatever petty squabble could, and would, have commenced.

"Yes Lady Halibel." The three fraccion replied in unison.

"Could you keep it down, I'm trying to sleep." Starrk stated lazily from his position of lying down on a blanket under an umbrella.

"You're always trying to sleep." Lilynette pointed out, only to be met with Starrk's slight yawns.

'_Lazy…'_ Lilynette thought, releasing a slight grunt of annoyance.

"What is this thing anyway?" Grimmjow questioned after having set up some kind of net and apparent court in the sand.

"It's called a volleyball net, and it's supposed to be part of a game." Ichigo answered, though Grimmjow only became more confused.

"Game?" Grimmjow inquired, not understanding what Ichigo was getting at.

"Yeah, it's called volleyball. Basically, each round starts with a serve from one person and after that you keep hitting the ball over the net until someone scores, the ball hits the net, or the ball goes out of bounds. The way you score is just to get the ball to land on the sand opposite your side of the net, but if you hit it out of bounds, it's the other person's point. All in all, it's pretty simple." Ichgio explained.

"Anyway, the court for it is up… anyone want to get their ass handed to 'em?" Grimmjow taunted, his competitive edge getting the better of him.

"You're on." Nnoitora stated as he got up and began to walk over to the court behind Grimmjow.

"I'm gonna go lie down." Ichigo said as he took off his shirt and made to lie down on a blanket.

"Me too." Risha, Nel, and Halibel stated simultaneously.

After they had realized what had happened, they gave each other a confused stare but shook it off and lay down on the blankets, mimicking Ichigo's action.

"Lady Halibel…" Apacci began as Halibel had gotten down on the towel besides the others who were tanning.

"May we go into the water?" Apacci asked in a hopeful, and slightly bashful, manner as Mila Rose and Sung-Sun came up from behind her, causing Halibel to become confused and Ichigo to release a slight chuckle.

"You don't really need to ask for my permission to enjoy yourself." Halibel stated, though she didn't think she would have to.

"So is that a yes…" Apacci trailed off, prompting Halibel to nod her head in confirmation.

"I'm goin too!" Lilynette chirped as she took off behind the three female fraccion.

"Wait for us!" Pesche and Dondochakka shouted in unison as they began to run towards the water.

"I may as well make sure they don't do anything stupid while they are in their Gigai." Ulquiorra stated as he walked up to the edge of the shore.

Aizen alongside Szayel and Tosen sat next to where Ichigo and the others were tanning, simply looking towards the ocean whilst sitting in beach chairs, enjoying the weather and the view.

"What do you plan to do for the time being, Gin?" Aizen asked, expecting that Gin was going to do something that would provide entertainment, for better or worse.

"I plan to have a go at making a sandcastle or two." Gin replied before making to walk away.

"Care to join me Yammy?" Gin asked, prompting the large arrancar to grunt as he got up and began walking behind Gin.

"Oooooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned as he too began to walk behind Gin.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Soul Reapers) **_

"You sure that you five want to do this?" Yoruichi asked, bearing her usual smirk as she alongside four other women were about to face off against the five boys in a game of volleyball.

"As if we'd ever cower away from a bunch of girls." Ikkaku boasted, causing Kyoraku to chuckle from the sidelines.

"I will make you regret those words." Soifon declared as she tossed the ball up into the air and served the ball to the other side of the court.

"I got it." Renji stated as he hit the ball to the girl's side.

Immediately after the ball was over the net, Soifon jumped high into the air and spiked the ball as hard as she could towards Ikkaku, effectively nailing him in the face and practically burying him in the sand.

"Good work Soifon." Yoruichi praised causing Soifon to blush slightly.

"I-It was nothing." Soifon replied bashfully.

"I get next shot on cue ball." Rangiku stated.

"Why me?" Ikkaku grumbled as he got up from the sand.

"Oh I don't know. It's not like they have a reason to be upset with you." Yumichika replied sarcastically from the sidelines.

"My serve." Sentaro declared before sending the ball over the net, only for Rangiku to mimic Soifon's previous action and spike the ball directly at Ikkaku, this time hitting him in the gut and knocking him out of bounds.

"You'd think he'd learn by now…" Yumichika trailed off on the sidelines, shaking his head as the game went on.

"He's always been stubborn." Hitsugaya commented from his seated position. He currently sat beside Momo and with several of the other captains, all of whom were watching the game.

"One of these days, it's going to get him killed." Yumichika stated, his mind going back to yesterday's incident in Karakura Town.

"Perhaps…" Hitsugaya trailed off, recalling exactly the same thing as Yumichika.

The previous day had been odd to him. The more he thought about the hooded arrancar, the more intrigued by the encounter he became. Firstly, the arrancar had gone away from the cemetery, which made no sense to him. Furthermore, he hadn't even seriously injured any member of his team, which surprised him given the fact that he showed a clear ability to be able to do so. And the lack of spiritual energy coming off of him, perhaps it wasn't just that he didn't have any, but that he was concealing it.

"Hey little Shiro, what are you thinking?" Momo inquired, noticing the thoughtful expression on the face of her childhood friend.

"Nothing of importance… how are you doing by the way?" Hitsugaya asked. Though he was dodging her question, he truly did want to know. This was the first time in quite a while that Momo had been out of squad four, let alone the Soul Society.

"I was cleared by Captain Unohana and I am able to resume my duties as a Soul Reaper as soon as we return to the Soul Society." Momo replied happily, though Hitsugaya raised a suspicious brow.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"More than ready." Momo replied in a serious voice, no longer jovial.

"And in regards to Aizen?" Hitsugaya asked, wanting more than anything to be certain his closest friend would not end up getting hurt due to returning so soon.

"If you're talking about what Captain Aizen did, I've come to terms with the fact that what he did was evil." Momo replied sternly. Hitsugaya could tell she wasn't lying, and that made him smile considering how much she had been through in the past few months.

"That's good to hear Momo, it means a lot to hear that you…" Hitsugaya said before he was cut off in the form of a volleyball striking his chest and subsequently causing him to shoot backwards into the sand.

"Who did that?!" Hitsugaya shouted as a tick mark appeared on his forehead, sounding absolutely furious. Momo just giggled when she saw Rangiku wave sheepishly at the captain, signaling that it was her.

"Sorry about that…" Rangiku apologized.

"Alright everyone, gather around." Unohana called out, breaking up the volleyball game, though it was likely to become a game of 'Hit Ikkaku in the face with a volleyball'.

Rangiku just released a sigh of relief, thankful that Captain Unohana had saver her from being shouted at by her captain.

"You're not off the hook." Hitsugaya stated, having heard the sigh from his lieutenant. Rangiku just pouted in response.

"I think it's time to have a little competition amongst ourselves, just for a bit of fun." Unohana said as everyone came together.

"What kind of contest Retsu?" Kyoraku asked, sounding slightly amused.

"I was thinking of a sandcastle making contest, each of you would get into groups and several of the captains will perform the duties of the judges." Unohana replied, though she wasn't met with any enthusiasm.

"There is a reward for those that place, by the way." Ukitake added, prompting most everyone to disappear and start the competition.

"Come on Soifon, it should be fun." Yoruichi said as she walked off.

"Coming Lady Yoruichi." Soifon said as she ran to catch up to her mentor.

"Mind if I just be a judge Captain Unohana?" Urahara asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I would have thought you of all people would like to create something and be judged on it." Kyoraku stated, causing Urahara to release a light chuckle.

"Just don't really feel like working on such a nice day." Urahara replied, prompting Kyoraku to nod in understanding.

"Very well… Isane, why are you not participating?" Unohana asked, turning to her lieutenant.

"This isn't really my type of thing captain." Isane replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Unohana before the group walked off. She currently wore a, very skimpy, gray and brown one piece bikini that her captain had picked out for her.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Arrancar) **_

"So whaddya think?" Yammy asked triumphantly as he successfully built a very large, fairly well crafted sandcastle, though it was standard in appearance.

"That's quite nice Yammy, but I think Wonderweiss has ya beat." Gin said, pointing towards Wonderweiss as he finished. The Decimo blinked confusedly before turning to see what the child-like arrancar had constructed, though his eyes nearly budged out of his head at what he saw.

"What the hell?!" Yammy exclaimed as he saw Wonderweiss putting the finishing touches on a large sandcastle version of Las Noches, which was miraculously detailed.

"Don't be so shocked, Wonderweiss has many talents." Tosen stated, causing Gin to chuckle as Wonderweiss nodded profusely in agreement.

_**In the Water (With the Fraccion of the Espada)**_

"You guys think Lady Halibel will come in if we ask?" Apacci questioned, looking towards her fellow fraccion as well as Pesche and Dondochakka.

"Perhaps we should ask Lady Nelliel as well." Pesche mused, prompting Dondochakka to nod in agreement.

"I doubt any of them would get in if Ichigo does not." Sung-Sun commented disappointedly, causing Lilynette to smirk.

"Leave that to me." Lilynette said as she began to swim to shore, leaving the other five confused.

_**With Ichigo **_

Since the beach equipment had been set up, Ichigo, Nel, Risha, and Halibel had simply been lying down on beach blankets and enjoying the sun, something they obviously didn't get the chance to do in Las Noches.

However, at this point it had been a while since they had arrived, and that gave Nel and excuse to try something, her mind shifting back to what Halibel had done that morning.

"Ichigo…" Nel called, breaking the silence that erupted once the group began to tan.

"Yes Nel, what is it?" Ichigo asked, bringing his upper back off of the beach towel and looking towards the Sexta.

"Could you put sunscreen on my back… I don't want to ruin all of Szayel's hard work." Nel said innocently, something that immediately caught the attention of both Halibel and Risha.

'_Two can play at this game._' Halibel and Risha thought simultaneously, each picking up on what Nel was doing.

"Actually, can you do so for me as well Ichigo?" Halibel asked.

"I believe I require some as well." Risha stated.

"Yes Ichigo, do be so kind as to take good care of those Gigai… after all, I went through so much trouble to get them ready that it would be such a shame to see them ruined." Szayel added, stifling a bout of laughter as he spoke.

"Okay." Ichigo replied nonchalantly, subsequently after which Szayel threw him the bottle of sunscreen, a face splitting grin plastered onto his face.

"Alright Nel, flip over." Ichigo said, immediately after which Nel complied.

"Oooh." Nel moaned quietly as Ichigo's hands began to work the, slightly cold, sunscreen onto her back.

"You alright Nel?" Ichigo asked, having heard the light moan.

"I'm fantastic…" Nel replied dreamily as Ichigo continued to work the sunscreen into her back.

"Alright." Ichigo said, lightly shrugging off any concern he might have had.

"I wonder just how dense he must be if a blind man can see what he obviously cannot." Tosen commented, causing Szayel to erupt in laughter and even Aizen to release a stifled chuckle.

"Something funny?" Ichigo asked confusedly, his attention being brought back over to where Aizen was currently sitting alongside Szayel and Tosen.

"N-nothing a-at all." Szayel said as he got his laughter under control.

"Okay Nel, you're done." Ichigo said, though Nel didn't seem to have heard him.

"Nel?" Ichigo called out.

"Wha?" Nel whispered, her mind once again appearing to be functioning.

'_Okay, she's fine.' _Ichigo thought before he moved on to Halibel.

Halibel was already flipped over, though she, unlike Nel, had unlaced her bikini. Ichigo just figured that was so he could get the entirety of her back while simultaneously not dirtying her outfit.

"Mmmmm." Halibel hummed out pleasantly at the feeling of Ichigo's hands caressing her skin.

'_This is getting weird…' _Ichigo thought, his cheeks beginning to heat up at the sound Halibel had started to make.

"Hey Primera, can't you find a better place for doing that?" Nnoitora joked with a sickening grin etched on his face.

His comment earned the collective glare of Nelliel, Risha, and Halibel as he and Grimmjow began to laugh maniacally at the comment, though the intended meaning seemed to pass right over Ichigo's head.

'_Where else would I go to put sunscreen on them?_' Ichigo wondered.

"How vulgar." Szayel commented with contempt evident in his tone.

"Ichigo!" Lilynette shouted from behind him, interrupting the conversation that had been going on.

"Yes Lilynette?" Ichigo asked as he turned his head to face the childlike arrancar, though he didn't stop applying the sunscreen to Halibel's back.

"Will you go into the water?" Lilynette asked in an innocent tone as she clasped her hands together in a begging fashion and gave Ichigo her best puppy dog eyes.

"Ichigo's busy Lilynette…" Halibel whispered in a low voice as Ichigo continued to apply the sunscreen.

"Oh come on." Lilynette whined.

"Sorry Lilynette, I don't really want to." Ichigo replied, sounding almost apologetic. It was as if he was denying something to one of his sisters, and he hated to do that.

After he had said this, Ichigo tied up Halibel's bikini for her and moved on to Risha, who had done the exact same thing Halibel had. She, however, made no sounds like the other two. She just smiled pleasantly and closed her eyes.

"Please."

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty, pretty please?"

"Once again, no."

"Pretty, pretty, pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty, pretty, pretty, pr…" Lilynette said before being cut off.

"Adding one 'pretty' each time I say no isn't going to increase your chances of getting me to go in, and before you even ask, no." Ichigo said.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Lilynette prodded. Before Ichigo could even respond, Starrk's chuckles could be heard from under the umbrella where he was presumably sleeping on a large beach towel.

'_This gives me an idea.' _Ichigo thought, a smirk making itself present on his features. An idea formed in his head for messing with his new friend, but he would have to use Lilynette to do it.

"Hey Lilynette, if you can get Starrk to go into the water, so will I." Ichigo said, causing Starrk's laughter to cease, almost immediately.

'_Crap.' _Starrk mentally grimaced as he heard Lilynette walk towards him.

"Come on Starrk, please?" Lilynette pleaded, though Starrk decided to feign ignorance by making snoring sounds with his eyes closed.

"Lazy ass!" Lilynette chided as she kicked a large amount of sand at Starrk, waking him up from his fake sleep.

"*cough* Dammit *cough* Ichigo." Starrk said as he tried to get sand out of his lungs.

"In all honesty, you should've seen that coming." Ichigo retorted immediately before Lilynette turned to face him once more.

She had figured that Ichigo had just used her to mess with Starrk, but she could tell it was good naturedly, and she liked the fact that Ichigo seemed to consider Starrk a friend. However, she still wanted him to get into the water, and thus, she got down on her knees and clasped her hands together, using a begging method that made Ichigo had recalled Yuzu using, and that almost made him cave on the spot.

"Come on Ichigo, please just get in!" Lilynette begged, though Ichigo ignored her and looked at Starrk.

"You know Starrk, I blame you for this." Ichigo stated, confusing Starrk.

"How the hell is this my fault?" Starrk asked lazily as he dusted the sand off of his swimsuit.

"If Lilynette didn't get so much practice bothering you as you slept, she wouldn't be as good at annoying me right now." Ichigo replied.

"Fair point." Starrk said, understanding that this was indeed a valid argument.

_**With Gin and Yammy**_

"Looks like Ichigo doesn't want to go into the water… Yammy, would you happen to be up for a bit of fun?" Gin asked as his grin increased in size.

"Depends… what'd ya have in mind?" Yammy inquired, guessing that at the very least this would be entertaining at the sight of Gin's characteristic grin.

"Well…"

_**With Ichigo and Company **_

"Please." Lilynette repeated for the hundredth time since she showed up to bug Ichigo.

"How many times do I have to say no?" Ichigo asked rhetorically.

"A lot more than you already have." Lilynette replied, causing Ichigo to facepalm.

"Why don't you just humor the poor girl Ichigo?" Gin asked innocently as he came up to the group with Yammy in toe.

"How bout you bite me?" Ichigo shot back, becoming confused when Gin's smile seemed to widen as he brought up his right and outstretched his index finger at Ichigo.

"What are you…" Ichigo began to ask before being cut off.

"Rikujokoro." Gin uttered, causing Ichigo's midsection to be surrounded by six wide beams of light.

"Your turn Yammy." Gin said, prompting Yammy to grab Ichigo and bring his arm back, as if making to throw him.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !" Ichigo's voice echoed as he shot through the air.

_**With Grimmjow and Nnoitora**_

"My serve!" Grimmjow shouted as he hit the ball over into Nnoitora's side.

The ball didn't even make it past the net as the flying form of Ichigo caught the ball midair, surprising the two Espada as they watched Ichigo continue to fly out into the ocean.

"The hell?" Grimmjow wondered aloud as he looked back at where Ichigo had been launched from, only to find Gin grinning like a madman as he waved at the blue-haired Espada.

_**With the Espada's Fraccion **_

"Woah!" Apacci exclaimed as Ichigo shot past their location in the water, creating waves in the opposite direction of where they should be.

"I guess when Lilynette said we could leave it to her she wasn't kidding." Pesche mused, prompting Dondochakka to slowly nod in agreement as he, along with the others, watched Ichigo's body fly into to distance.

_**With Aizen and the Others **_

"Interesting way to get him into the water Gin." Aizen commented as he got up from his chair to see how far out Ichigo had been thrown.

"Why don't you get in Lord Aizen?" Gin asked suggestively whilst bringing his hand up in the same manner he had previously, causing Aizen to glare at him.

"Gin, don't even thi…" Aizen said before being cut off.

"Rikujokoro." Gin uttered, repeating the spell he cast on Ichigo.

"Yammy." Gin called, prompting Yammy to throw Aizen the exact same distance as Ichigo.

Aizen, unlike Ichigo, made absolutely no sound, though one could just feel the annoyance radiating off of him as he zoomed through the air towards the ocean.

"You know they won't be too happy about that." Starrk stated, though all Gin did in response was shrug it off.

"What can ya do?" Gin asked rhetorically.

_**With Ichigo and Aizen**_

'_What the hell?' _Ichigo wondered as he saw another person flying through the air.

"Aizen?" Ichigo thought aloud as the lord of Las Noches came crashing into the water.

"So they got you too?" Ichigo asked once Aizen had come up from under the water.

"Yes, though knowing Gin I should have expected something like that." Aizen replied.

"You wanna get even?" Ichigo asked with a telling smirk, piquing Aizen's interest.

"From your expression, I suppose you already have something in mind." Aizen guessed.

"Well…" Ichigo began.

_**With Gin and the Others **_

"How long do ya think they're gonna just sit out there?" Yammy asked no one in particular.

"I don't really know, but I…" Gin said before being interrupted.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." Aizen uttered from behind Gin.

'_Crap.' _Gin grimaced in thought as he felt the palm of Aizen's hand being placed on his back.

"Bakudo Number 27, Otoshiana." Aizen cast, causing the ground around Gin to shake.

A moment later Gin found himself buried into the sand up to the bottom of his neck, unable to move, though he still kept his characteristic grin.

"Yammy…" Ichigo called, bringing the large arrancar's attention to Ichigo, who had been standing behind the large arrancar since his attention was brought to Aizen making an appearance.

"Whadda you wa…" Yammy said before a powerful kick sent him flying through the air, a fitting form of revenge given that he had done the same thing to Ichigo and Aizen a minute ago.

Once Yammy was sent flying, Gin took note that Aizen's Gigai was currently being held by Ichigo. A moment later, Aizen reentered his Gigai and began to look down at Gin with a superior expression on his face.

"Looks like you got me Lord Aizen." Gin stated as Aizen walked away from him, heading towards Wonderweiss.

"Wonderweiss, may I borrow this bucket?" Aizen asked as he picked up a small red bucket that had been cast to Wonderweiss's side.

"Ooooh." Wonderweiss replied, nodding his head in order to answer Aizen's question.

"Seems I'm really stuck… mind giving me a hand Lmmm Maimen" Gin said, though his voice at the end became muffled due to the fact that Aizen had placed the little red bucket over Gin's head and opted to use the bucket as a footrest.

"That's much better." Aizen stated contentedly as he leaned his beach chair back and began to dry his clothes in the sun.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Soul Reapers) **_

"Well this just doesn't make any sense at all." Isane stated as the group of judges came across an array of destroyed sand castles.

"Seems to me that the boys ended up destroying each other's castles." Kyoraku mused through a chuckle as he observed the mounds of sand that appeared to have once been sand sculptures of some kind.

"Well moving on…" Urahara trailed off as he looked around to see who actually had something they could present.

"Looks like Rukia and Byakuya actually made something." Urahara said as the group of judges walked up to the twin sculptures.

Byakuya and Rukia had done well crafted sculptures of mod souls, Byakuya's appeared to be a cloud-like cartoon character, while Rukia's was a Chappy the rabbit.

"Those two really are a lot alike." Isane commented.

"It would appear that by default they will place seeing as how there are only thee sculptures that are capable of being judged." Unohana added.

"Let's go see Orihime's and Rangiku's." Urahara suggested, prompting the group of Soul Reapers to walk towards a fairly odd but well-crafted sculpture.

The two girls had built something that appeared to be a voluptuous mermaid with perfectly crafter hair, something that several of the judges hadn't expected. Needless to say, the detail was quite impressive.

"I like it." Kyoraku stated as he paid particular attention to the large chest of the sculpture, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Nanao.

"Don't say something so indecent." Nanao chided, though she was met with Urahara's perverted giggle.

"What's so funny?" Nanao asked in a dangerous tone. In response, Urahara simply pointed at the large chest of the mermaid sand sculpture and continued to giggle.

"Moron." Nanao mumbled before the group of reapers headed towards Soifon and Yoruichi's entry.

Yoruichi and Soifon had created a sand-version of squad two's barracks, though with the addition of a large cat statue in the middle of the courtyard.

"Very impressive Yoruichi." Urahara complimented, honestly impressed by the scale of the sculpture.

"Thanks, though I couldn't have done it without Soifon. After all, I haven't lived in the squad two barracks for quite some time." Yoruichi replied, causing Soifon to blush.

"Whose idea was the cat statue?" Unohana questioned, causing Soifon's blush to darken.

"Well that answers that." Kyoraku stated amusedly.

"The judges will now discuss the results." Unohana stated

_Several Minutes Later…_

"It is decided… first place goes to Yoruichi and Soifon, second goes to Orihime and Rangiku, and third goes to Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki." Unohana said.

"What?!" Ikkaku exclaimed, sounding infuriated.

"Why would you be upset? Your entry was destroyed." Rukia pointed out.

"He's most likely upset because Rangiku's sculpture only got second." Yumichika mused, causing Ikkaku to grunt.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nanao chided, realizing that Yumichika's reasoning was correct.

"Don't be upset Nanao, the big chest was supposed to be the clincher, it usually is with men." Rangiku replied, causing Nanao to ball her fist and growl at the busty Soul Reaper lieutenant.

"We won Lady Yoruichi." Soifon said contentedly.

"Yes we did… though now I think I'm going to take a walk, would you like to come with me?" Yoruichi asked, though Soifon shook her head in response. She felt some alone time to simply enjoy herself would do Yoruichi a lot of good.

"Okay, then I'll see you when I get back." Yoruichi said before she began to walk away.

"Don't forget Yoruichi, there are other people who rented the other side of the beach!" Urahara shouted as Yoruichi walked away.

"She probably won't go too far." Urahara thought aloud.

"Alright everyone, it's time for the watermelon smashing contest." Unohana stated happily, causing everyone to become confused.

"Captain, we didn't bring any watermelons." Isane pointed out, voicing everyone's confusion.

"The watermelons you are going to be smashing are a little… different." Unohana replied immediately before eleven green, large, hollow-like creatures with whipping tentacles and watermelon shaped heads popped out of the sand and water in unison.

"What the hell?" Renji wondered aloud as he looked at the creatures.

"These are the watermelons you will be smashing, it is a gift from the captains to our subordinates… enjoy." Unohana explained, though her look became skeptical as she seemed to notice something.

"Something the matter Retsu?" Kyoraku questioned, noticing the healer's incredulous look.

"We're short one watermelon…" Unohana replied.

"Maybe you just miscounted… either way, what's the worst that could happen?" Urahara asked rhetorically.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Arrancar) **_

"What the hell?" Ichigo exclaimed as the water in the ocean began to swirl and an odd creature came out of the water.

The apparent hollow immediately captured all three of Halibel's fraccion with its tentacles, grabbing a little too tightly in certain places.

"Get off me!" Apacci shouted as she struggled to get free from the tentacles of the watermelon-like creature.

"Watch where you're putting that damn tentacle!" Mila Rose shouted.

"Ichigo!" Sung-Sun screamed out as the tentacle latched on to a particularly sensitive area, though no one seemed to notice due to the large watermelon-like hollow that currently had the three fraccion entangled in its grasp.

"What the hell is it doing?" Lilynette asked, being completely confused as she continued to hear Halibel's fraccion scream. Several members of the Espada had a light amount of pink on their cheeks, themselves having a good idea of what the thing was doing.

"I believe it is…" Risha said before Ichigo cut her off.

"No need to say it Risha." Ichigo said. Despite Lilynette likely being older than she appeared, it would be like hearing something… inappropriate… being explained to his sister and that just made him feel awkward.

"But I…" Risha began.

"Don't say it." Ichigo ordered, confusing Risha.

'_Why would he… oh…' _Risha thought before she nodded her head in understanding.

"Damn, I wish I had a camera!" Nnoitora said before he began to cackle madly at the sight.

"I'll just go crush it." Yammy volunteered, wanting to end the odd occurrence as soon as he was able.

Immediately after these words left Yammy's mouth, the odd creature wrapped a tentacle around Yammy's leg and proceeded to hurl him out into the ocean, blasting him out of sight.

"Idiot." Ulquiorra mumbled.

"It's getting a little… GAH… f-frisky." Sung-Sun stated, obviously asking the group to hurry up and get them out of the situation.

"I'll take care of this quickly." Ichigo declared a moment before using sonido to appear in front of the creature's head with his fist pulled back.

Ichigo punched the creature straight in the head, shattering the watermelon's skull and sending juice and seeds everywhere as the three fraccion fell to the beach.

"Thank god that's over with." Apacci sighed.

"For once I agree with you." Mila Rose added.

"Was that thing a watermelon?" Sung-Sun asked in a tone of sheer confusion, having observed what had happened after Ichigo destroyed it.

"It would appear so." Ulquiorra replied, inwardly confused though he didn't outwardly show it.

"Where the hell did it come from?" Grimmjow asked no one in particular, though many just shrugged their shoulders in response.

"Perhaps some questions are better left unanswered, no?" Aizen said before walking back to his chair and "footrest".

'_Something definitely happened and I missed it…' _Gin thought disappointedly as he heard feet rest on the top of the bucket once more.

"Whatever… I'm going for a walk." Ichigo stated, prompting nearly every female hollow and several of the males to walk up behind him.

"Alone." Ichigo added, not even bothering to turn his head back for the moment.

'_Spoil sport…' _Many of the female arrancar thought similarly.

"Ichigo, before you leave, remember not to wander too far off." Aizen warned.

Ichigo waved back in acknowledgment that he had heard though he did not turn to face Aizen and the others.

_**Halfway between the arrancar and Soul Reapers (20 Minutes Later)**_

"This day at the beach was just what I needed." Yoruichi thought aloud as she stretched her arms and continued to walk along the shore.

'_What?' _Yoruichi thought as she looked off into the distance to see the form of a man walking towards her. She just assumed she was looking at one of the people that had been on the other side of the beach. She didn't look like a spirit, so she saw no harm in continuing on her current path.

'_Is that another person? I was sure that I hadn't wandered too far along the beach.' _Ichigo thought as he saw the form of a woman off in the distance.

"Well what's the harm in talking to the person? Not like they'd know me." Ichigo mused, shaking off any thought of turning around. Though he had no intention of running of or anything like that, he figured that since he looked human, he could very easily be seen by someone else.

The two began to walk towards one another, each step making their respective appearance clear to the other. Their respective approaching figures were only accentuated by the orange light the sun was casting as it began to descend from the sky.

'_That hair… that face… it can't be.' _Yoruichi thought as she believed her eyes to be playing tricks on her.

"Could it really be?" Yoruichi wondered aloud, her feet taking her closer and closer to the man in question.

'_I feel as if I know her somehow…' _Ichigo thought as he tried to put a name or something along those lines to the woman that continued to walk towards him.

'_Perhaps I'm just being paranoid.' _Ichigo mused, inwardly hoping that he didn't know her. If that were the case, then this would be extremely awkward and on top of that, he would be revealing himself, which might get him out of Aizen's good graces. If that were to happen, he would be in a less preferable position should his memories of Aizen return and he were to realize that he had been fighting on the wrong side.

"Ichigo!" He heard the tan-skinned woman shout as she started to slowly run towards him.

'_Dammit.' _Ichigo thought, realizing that walking towards the woman may have been a mistake. At this point, he knew that this woman was either a human he had known, or she was a Soul Reaper that had known him. Since she appeared to be wearing a bikini, he thought she was human, and that was a good thing considering that this meant she didn't know about Aizen or the arrancar, or so he hoped.

Within a moment, Ichigo found himself face to face with the purple-haired, golden-eyed woman that had called out his name. Her flawless skin and the glint in her eyes gave Ichigo the impression that he undoubtedly knew this woman.

'_This can't be real.' _Yoruichi thought, trying to convince herself otherwise. She simply stared into the deep brown eyes of the man in front of her, looking for any sign that this was actually real.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi quietly whispered, almost out of disbelief, as she brought her hand to touch his cheek.

'_Why can't I remember your name?' _Ichigo wondered, though he kept his frustration to himself as he felt the woman's hand caress his cheek and move down his neck.

"Is it really you?" Yoruichi asked, seemingly to herself as tears began to well up in her eyes.

'_Why is she crying?' _Ichigo wondered, instinctively bringing his hand to Yoruichi's cheek in order to wipe the tears away.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi whispered once more, affectionately nuzzling into Ichigo's hand whilst she stared deeply into his eyes, and he into hers.

'_She's someone I know… and she's crying now that she sees me… she must've thought I was dead… but now that I am this close, I can sense spiritual energy coming off of her. She must be in a Gigai for some reason… but if she is a Soul Reaper and not a human, Aizen wouldn't want her to know I am still alive.' _Ichigo reasoned before he decided to go over his options.

'_Perhaps if I leave now she will not believe it was actually me… dammit.' _Ichigo thought, disgusted that he would have to do something so heartless just for the sake of following what Aizen told him to do, even if he felt he was doing so for the right reasons.

A moment later Ichigo was gone, vanishing as quickly as he appeared before her eyes, leaving not a trace behind him, even the footprints in the sand were invisible due to the ocean's repeated waves that had washed away his tracks.

Yoruichi fell to her knees, staring at the ground with wide eyes as for one brief moment she found herself more saddened then she had ever been in her life. Ichigo Kurosaki had appeared before her, she felt his touch, and then he was gone.

'_Was it just a hallucination?' _Yoruichi wondered as she tried to shake off what she had just seen. She looked in front of her and saw nothing, not even footprints, and that worried her.

'_Maybe there really is something seriously wrong with me.' _Yoruichi thought sadly, unable to find any other explanation.

"Ichigo… what did you do to me?" Yoruichi asked dryly as she got up from her knees and began to head back to the side of the beach she came from.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Arrancar) **_

"You know, this is the first time I've seen the sun set in the world of the living for a long, long time." Starrk commented, staring off at into the distance.

"Indeed… it is quite lovely." Halibel said.

"Yes, nothing in Hueco Mundo can quite compare." Nel stated in agreement, though the appearance of Ichigo broke up any discussion that was about to ensue.

"You're back rather quickly." Aizen commented as Ichigo appeared in front of him.

'_Something's not right.' _Aizen thought as he saw a serious expression plastered onto Ichigo's features, something that unnerved him greatly.

"We need to leave… now" Ichigo stated, confusing those who heard him.

"Ichigo, why would…" Halibel began to ask before receiving her would be answer.

"When I was gone I walked into someone from the other side of the beach. Let's just say it was someone who didn't think they'd ever see me again." Ichigo replied, causing Aizen to immediately get up from his seat with a serious expression on her face.

"This is indeed unexpected, who was it that you ran into?" Aizen asked, knowing full well what Ichigo had implied.

"I couldn't remember her name. All I know for sure is that I know her and that she had the spirit energy of a Soul Reaper, but she was in a Gigai for some reason. I left as soon as I found that out and I have a feeling she will think it didn't really happen, but just to be safe I think we should leave." Ichigo replied, eliciting a nod of understanding from Aizen.

"Everyone, pack up your things, now." Aizen ordered, causing the arrancar to scramble.

"Wonderweiss, would you be so kind as to dig Gin out of the sand?" Tosen requested.

"Ooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned as he walked over to the bucket that currently eclipsed Gin's head, a red tiny red shovel in hand.

"Why thank you Wonderweiss, it was getting a little stuffy in there." Gin said after the bucket was lifted from over his head.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah." Wonderweiss moaned as he began to use his little red shovel to scoop up little bits of sand and dump them on Gin's head.

"No, no, no Wonderweiss. You're supposed to get the sand out from around me." Gin clarified, though Wonderweiss didn't seem to understand for the moment.

"Think of it this way, the sooner I get dug up, the sooner you can see Fura again." Gin said, causing Wonderweiss to immediately begin to dig Gin up at a rapid pace with his tiny shovel, a reaction that caused Gin to sight in relief.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Soul Reapers) **_

"Looks like Yoruichi's back." Urahara pointed out as he saw the Goddess of the Flash walk up to the Soul Reaper's beach setup. Within moments, Yoruichi's expression became very clear, and to those who knew her it was not a good sight to behold on the usually upbeat woman.

'_Something's wrong.' _Urahara thought as he noticed an expression that was a mix of distraught and serious on Yoruichi's features.

"Lady Yoruichi…" Soifon trailed off in a concerned voice.

"Yes Soifon?" Yoruichi asked, detecting that Soifon was going to say something more, though she seemed to have trouble getting it out.

"Are you alright Yoruichi… you seem different." Urahara said, speaking for those present who could tell something was off.

'_Should I tell them?' _Yoruichi wondered as an awkward silence ensued. Several things plagued her thoughts at the moment, mainly those that were debating what exactly she saw. She admitted to herself that she had loved Ichigo, for some reason or other, but even that shouldn't make her hallucinate. Plus, if it was real, she couldn't think of a reason for him to disappear again.

'_Best I keep this to myself until I know what the hell happened.' _Yoruichi thought before making to speak.

"Just a little tired Kisuke… you know me, I need my catnaps." Yoruichi replied through a yawn, prompting Urahara to nod in understanding before he subsequently released a sigh of relief.

'_Thankfully it wasn't something serious.' _Soifon thought as she too released a sigh of relief.

"It's about time we all started to pack anyway… why don't you go rest Yoruichi, you do look tired." Kyoraku stated, getting several nods of agreement from others present.

"Thanks, I think I'll do just that." Yoruichi replied as she walked over to a beach blanket and stretched her body before closing her eyes.

_**Other Side of the Beach (Arrancar) **_

"Is everyone ready?" Aizen asked as he turned to face the arrancar, all of which nodded with the exception of Yammy, whose face had been obstructed by the large amount of beach equipment he was carrying.

"Hang on Lord Aizen. I don't want to bury Las Noches when we get back." Gin joked as he began to empty large amounts of sand from his swimsuit pockets.

"Ulquiorra, open the Garganta if you please." Aizen requested, prompting the stoic Espada to walk in front of Aizen and flick his wrists, effectively opening the black portal to the land of hollows.

Everyone continued to walk into the Garganta until only Aizen and Ichigo were left on the other side.

'_Who was she… the way she reacted to seeing me… and why do I feel so terrible? Even if I should feel bad about it, there's no way I should feel this heartless.' _Ichigo thought as he couldn't help but wonder why he felt so disgusted with himself.

"Ichigo… is something the matter?" Aizen asked in a tone of ever so slight concern, yet it was still evident.

"I-It's nothing." Ichigo replied before walking into the Garganta.

'_I have the worst feeling that I'm going to discover that was a lie in the near future.' _Aizen thought before entering the dark rift Ulquiorra had opened.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room (Other Side of the Garganta)**_

"Well, that wasn't too bad." Grimmjow commented as everyone walked into the throne room from the Garganta.

"The part I enjoyed the most was likely the least favorite of the three it involved." Nnoitora commented through a snicker, effectively causing Halibel and her three fraccion to glare at the chauvinistic Espada.

"Don't remind me." Apacci grumbled, releasing an involuntary shiver as she recalled what had happened to her, and specifically where.

"I need to go bathe myself." Apacci added before she used sonido to exit the room.

"Ditto." Sung-Sun and Mila Rose stated in unison before mimicking Apacci's action and disappearing.

"I'm gonna go get some rest… I would appreciate it if no one were to bug me." Ichigo said before vanishing no sooner than the words left his mouth, leaving a room full of confused arrancar.

"What's up with him?" Grimmjow asked to no one in particular.

"Don't know, don't care." Nnoitora replied before vanishing via sonido.

"Tia, you think maybe we should…" Nel began before being cut off.

"The matter will be dealt with at a later time. For now I believe it best that Ichigo not be disturbed." Aizen stated in a deadly serious tone.

"In fact, I would ask that you three ensure that his wish is kept." Aizen ordered as he turned to face Halibel, Nel, and Risha, eliciting a begrudging nod of understanding from the three women respectively.

"Very good… you may all leave now." Aizen said, prompting the remaining arrancar to leave save Starrk, who currently had an inquisitive look about his features.

"What is it Starrk?" Aizen asked in his normal smooth tone.

"I may be out of line here Lord Aizen… but Ichigo looked pretty shaken for some reason, so do you think it wise to just let him deal with this on his own?" Starrk asked, causing Aizen to smile slightly and shake his head amusedly.

'_Why the hell would he be doing that?' _Starrk wondered confusedly, reasoning that Aizen was taking light of a serious situation.

"It isn't shocking that you don't want someone to go through something alone, but just as was the case with remembering his mother, so too must he remember the person he saw today. I simply shed light on his past, but he must be the one to remember it." Aizen explained.

He had believed that Ichigo had seen Rukia Kuchiki given the effect it had on him, and perhaps that would mean that his memory of his invasion of the Soul Society would return, or at least the part of Aizen's defection.

"But if he finds out what you did and that you want him to fight the Soul Reapers, doesn't that leave a big possibility that he would turn on you? I mean, recently he's been becoming more and more like one of us, and I…" Starrk trailed off, not entirely sure how to put his point into words. He had become worried that he might lose a friend, and that was something he had a history with and something he desperately wanted to avoid repeating.

"I understand Starrk… but you have to look at the big picture in order to see what my expectations for Ichigo actually are… what they have always been." Aizen replied cryptically, prompting Starrk to raise a curious brow.

Aizen noticed this and decided to clarify what he had meant.

"You see it was never my intent to have Ichigo fight his friends. I made him what he is so that I could turn him into a failsafe. Should I fail in killing the Spirit King, that duty will fall to Ichigo." Aizen explained before turning and walking towards the doors to the throne room, confusing Starrk.

"How exactly do you intend to get him to listen to you, let alone kill the Spirit King?" Starrk asked at Aizen's retreating form.

"Through understanding." Aizen replied cryptically as he exited the room.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room (Several Hours Later) **_

"Who are you?" Ichigo mumbled, tossing and turning in his sleep, clearly unaware he was doing so.

"Who are you to me?" Ichigo mumbled as if speaking to someone who was in the room with him.

_**Ichigo's Dreamscape **_

Ichigo found himself in a dark cave, wondering what the hell was going on as he was unable to recognize his location.

"Where am…" Ichigo said before stopping as he realized that he saw his unconscious body lying on a futon with a black cat watching over him.

"Not this again." Ichigo huffed, rather becoming sick of the manner in which his memories chose to return.

"_What the hell, where am I?_" Ichigo asked as he shot up from the bed, surprising the cat slightly.

"Don't ask me." Ichigo joked from outside the memory.

"_You're safe for the moment and that is all that matters._" The cat replied, brining Ichigo's attention to it.

"_Wait a minute… you brought me here?_" Ichigo asked the cat in disbelief.

"_I thought that'd be rather obvious_" The can answered as it gave off what appeared to be a joking smirk.

"I could swear I know that cat's smirk." Ichigo thought aloud.

"_How'd you even do it? You're a cat… but I suppose that's pretty impressive._" Ichigo pointed out, causing the cat to realize something.

"_Well when I enter my true from carrying things isn't very difficult… but you haven't seen it yet… allow me to fix that._" The cat replied.

It began to walk off several feet before smoke began to encircle it, temporarily making the area around the cat unable to be seen.

The smoke subsided a moment later, causing both Ichigo, and his memory version to go wide eyed at what they saw.

"The woman…" Ichigo trailed off, though his memory version just stared as the tan-skinned female walked closer towards him.

"_Y-you're a girl._" Ichigo stuttered out.

"_Why is everyone so shocked about that? I know it's a male voice but come on._" The tan-skinned woman thought aloud.

"_B-bu-but… I thought you were a cat._" Ichigo said dumbly as he pointed a shaky finger at the approaching female.

"_Cat's don't talk… use your head Ichigo._" The woman replied.

"_Anyway… that's enough surprises for the time being. Now let me show you how I…_" The woman began before being cut off.

"_Would you please put some clothes on?!_" Ichigo screamed immediately before the memory froze. At this point, both Ichigo and his memory form had flushed cheeks due to the image of the naked woman.

"Funny how even I didn't notice that up until now." Ichigo said to himself before the scenery changed.

'_Dammit.' _Ichigo thought with a sigh as he found himself in an area he recognized.

"Oh the hot springs…" Ichigo trailed off as he realized where he was.

"This is different from when I was learning Bankai…" Ichigo realized as he saw some distinct differences, such as the lack of swords stabbed into the ground, and the ladder leading above ground.

"I remember… yes, I'm certain I do. I spent over a week with that woman before I left for Hueco Mundo." Ichigo realized, putting the pieces of his shattered memory back together. He remembered why he went, he knew who he met, and he knew how he was created. The one piece of his memory that was missing at the moment was what he had left behind, and more specifically, what had brought about the "war" in the first place.

'_Figures I remember that part but still don't remember her name.' _Ichigo thought out of frustration.

"She… she trained me in Hakuda and helped me become faster in flash step… I can distinctly remember that she saved my life on an occasion but why can't I remember?" Ichigo thought aloud.

"Why can't I remember?!" Ichigo roared immediately before the scenery changed once more.

Ichigo now found himself lying in bed, in a place he felt he recognized, with the purple-haired woman nuzzled into his chest, and wrapping her legs around his while at the same time wrapping her hands possessively around his upper body.

"Just stay…" The woman whispered from her position.

"Please just stay here… Ichigo." The woman continued.

For some reason that Ichigo could not explain, he felt himself overcome with a mixture of emotions. Regret, sadness, joy, happiness, lose, and fear, all at the same time. Despite all of these emotions ripping through his being he couldn't help but smile at the woman as he kissed her head affectionately.

He didn't know how he knew, but he could tell the woman was smiling when she squeezed Ichigo slightly before lessening her grip a moment later.

"Good night… Ichigo." The woman said.

"Good night…" Ichigo began.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Gah!" Ichigo grunted as he came out from his dreams, panting heavily and sweating profusely as his upper body shot up from the covers.

"…Yoruichi." Ichigo whispered as he whipped the sweat from his brow.

**A/N Okay, so tomorrow I am moving into my college campus and next week is my first week of classes. As a result of this, there will be no update for next week, but after that the usual update days will be Tuesday and Friday, though I will let you know in the A/N's at the end of a chapter if this will change**

_**Exlanations**_:

**Bakudo Number 27, Otoshiana**: Otoshiana is Japanese for pitfall, fitting because it traps one's opponent in the ground. It is a low-ish level Bakudo because anyone of significant strength can use their spiritual pressure to escape, though in Gin's case he is in a Gigai and is limited to simply casting Bakudo/Hado himself, unable to use anything other than his actual strength in the situation. Plus, the caster needs to be able to have his hand on the person he/she wishes to put into the ground, so to speak.

**Yoruichi**: In general, her seeing Ichigo has a lot to do with what happens next and has a lot to do with Ichigo regaining more of his memories, if not the entirety of the ones he is missing, just wait ;)

**The Spirit King**: This is more of a general statement, but it was brought about by **Kami no Uzumaki** in a review and I just wanted to explain how I see this. To me, yes I know that the spirit king is the linchpin, but I don't necessarily think that means he hold entire dimensions together. I think it just means that the Soul Society could not function without his being there. I assume that without him, the noble families would go for power grabs, the court guard squads would be in disarray, and the Soul Society would erupt in civil war. I assume he is strong, but anyone who is in another dimension guarded by some of the strongest Soul Reapers in existence, is in my opinion, far from invincible.

_**Reviews**_:

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, hope you like this chapter as well.

**darkmachines**: I know I did it again, though I don't know how. Reguardless, thanks for correcting my mistake, it has been corrected. Yes, Kenpatchi would blow up the frickin beach xD, and I will take a rain check on the construccion for now, though I may PM you in the future if I decide to add them in, thanks for the offer!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Yes, he is.

**TheFuturisticEnigma**: Yup!

**Guest(1)**: No he wasn't, it isn't quite the same thing, but it is unique and hopefully it will be worth the wait. You see it again in the next chater, but don't find out the name for another three or four, just because of what happens next.

**The Unknown SiniGami**: I am aware, thank! Also, I went back and fixed it.

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it.

**FinalDemon**: O_O

**GreatStoryLover**: Not all of the Soul Reapers saw Ichigo, but one of them did.

**Kami no Uzumaki**: I would have had them meet, but at that point it would be a little bit less serious and a bit harder to write given the fact that I would have to approach it in a 'why the hell are they not killing each other?' kind of way. Risha is in the Harem as a definitive character, hopefully people like her character, but she will be more and more appearant in terms of who she is as the story goes on. This one is in the _**Explanations**_: section. Yes, Ichigo is very powerful, but as a hybrid that is at the moment, imperfect, he isn't like earth shatteringly powerful, but making him that strong would kind of ruin the story, so I settled for just ridiculously powerful… for now.

**YoTuesday**: I apologize if you didn't like it, sorry if you felt that way, glad to see you don't dislike the story because of that, but I won't say it won't not happen again. Also, in response to the stalker thing… their hot… that's it… ;P

**hornet07**:Sure, I will elaborate. You see, what I meant was that the harem member that will be introduced in this version of the story as official members will only be those four, you will see why soon enough but in the sequel I will likely add Rukia and Orihime fairly quickly if people want me too. I could even work it into this story if people want me to, but that's all I really have to say in that regard. I know about the lieutenant thing, fixed it, but thanks! Also, I would have brought in Isshin and the others, but I would think it would be too much too quickly for them, considering that he hasn't told them what is going on so far.

**Arashigetsu117**: Thanks, also, I know but I will explain it when I show him using it, trust me, I can say/hope it will be worth the wait.

**Darkaggie**: She is, don't worry.

**friaku**: Thanks, glad to hear I am improving, and I will.

**sami217**: Don't be, he has instant regeneration and will soon get four girlfriends/mates. You guessed it, but the two sides didn't meet for that reason.

**Arawn D. Draven**: Thanks, also I settled for Ulquiorra… tehe.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, thought so too. Nice way to make it a little funny considering I am not quite ready to add drama to this just yet. Yes, he and Ulquiorra do eventually become good friends, thought it takes some time. At the moment, I would say they are okay friends. Hope I didn't disappoint, and she will be in the harem.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Nonexistent, apparently, though the watermelon took a detour xD

**The Night Hunter**: Glad to hear it, I just decided on something I thought would be easy to imagine for the outfits.

**gtrain20**: He does, that comes up shortly, in fact, that was the second purpose this chapter served.

**Fire077**: Now you don't have to, I am hiding it because I am going to do something epic with it, and you will see what that is within three to four chapters, hopefully. Also, don't feel sorry for Ichigo, he had three women who want him, all of whom are hot.

**Vail Ryuketsu**: Not a great day, but then again, his life is pretty good, overall. Also, now you know, hopefully that was as entertaining as I had hoped.

**Akuma-Heika**: Okay, so I will just respond to you Chapter 28 review and the rest will be responded to in the next chapter, thanks in general for your long reviews/correction and analysis, I do appreciate it. Force feeding is bad because no matter how many hollows you feed to an adjucha, there is a possibility they will never evolve into a Vasto Lorde, and even if they did, it would just be because of the immense amount of Souls. I got the idea from Grimmjow's days as an adjucha and the whole flashback with his fraccion, hope that clears things up a bit. The blade of his Segunda Etapa is the Bankai from after he gets his fullbring, just a modified version of Tensa Zangetsu. The tribal markings appeared to be either or, depending on the scene from the anime, believe me I checked. Also, Vasto Lordes do not have a complete mask, they have mask fragments of some kind that usually allows some amount of skin to be shown. I fixed the litenenant thing. Thanks for the advice, appreciated. I get that, but I think the way I put it sounds more prolific, despite it being incorrect xD. Yes, he also has that going for him. To be honest the act that he didn't use it more in the Anime confused me given all of these factors… but anyway, moving on. Also, he doesn't have any love for Central 46 or the government of the Soul Society, but he doesn't hate them enough to turn on his friends… but then again, I could do anything… or will I? She was referring to both in terms of the Gran Rey Cero. For the guess of the cero, not exactly. I fiexed the gender thing. I described the swimsuit of every character, hopefully very well. I would agree to more than three, but I have to say that there will be a sequel, and given how this will end, I can't just add stuff in, but you will see what I mean later.

**That Anon**: Yes, she will be fine with it, but then again, they all have to be if it is going to work, but it will prove to be difficult to get everyone to agree to it.

**gunzen**: Okay, so the Espada, that works grammatically considering that Espada can refer to a group or a singular member, I don't know why you had that in there. "The hollow" works when I use it to refer to a singular hollow, which I believe I always have. I don't think I have ever said "the Hueco Mundo", and as for the Soul Society, I don't think it is grammatically correct to say Soul Society. To me, saying "I am going to Soul Society", is like saying "I am going to Rain Forest", which should be "I am going to the Rain Forest" and doesn't make any grammatical sense. Even if it does, saying the Soul Society, simply sounds better to me, therefore, I do apologize if you find it annoying, but I believe I will continue to do so. Also, I base this speech off of the English anime, in which I believe they always say the Soul Society in reference to travel.

**RB**: Thanks, also you will, it won't be in the near future, but it will happen. They won't fuse or anything, but you do get to see what it looks like and it won't be via flash back.

**Guest(2)**: Thanks, who was also in that Vasto Lorde army comes into play during the sequel, but they won't be coming back in this story.

**samira vanagola**: I assume this means please continue, which I will.


	30. Deja Vu

**A/N As promised, here is Chapter 30. It is slightly shorter than the previous few but the next several will be some of the longest chapters in the story so far… I think. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 30 **

_**Ichigo's Dreamscape **_

"Oh the hot springs…" Ichigo trailed off as he realized where he was.

"This is different from when I was learning Bankai…" Ichigo realized as he saw some distinct differences, such as the lack of swords stabbed into the ground, and the ladder leading above ground.

"I remember… yes, I'm certain I do. I spent a week with that woman before I left for Hueco Mundo." Ichigo realized, putting the pieces of his shattered memory back together. He remembered why he went, he knew who he met, and he knew how he was created. The one piece of his memory that was missing at the moment was what he had left behind, and more specifically, what had brought about the "war" in the first place.

'_Figures I remember that part but still don't remember her name.' _Ichigo thought out of frustration.

"She… she trained me in Hakuda and helped me become faster in flash step… I can distinctly remember that she saved my life on an occasion but why can't I remember?" Ichigo thought aloud.

"Why can't I remember?!" Ichigo roared immediately before the scenery changed once more.

Ichigo now found himself lying in bed, in a place he felt he recognized, with the purple-haired woman nuzzled into his chest, and wrapping her legs around his while at the same time wrapping her hands possessively around his upper body.

"Just stay…" The woman whispered from her position.

"Please just stay here… Ichigo." The woman continued.

For some reason that Ichigo could not explain, he felt himself overcome with a mixture of emotions. Regret, sadness, joy, happiness, lose, and fear, all at the same time. Despite all of these emotions ripping through his being he couldn't help but smile at the woman as he kissed her head affectionately.

He didn't know how he knew, but he could tell the woman was smiling when she squeezed Ichigo slightly before lessening her grip a moment later.

"Good night… Ichigo." The woman said.

"Good night…" Ichigo began.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Gah!" Ichigo grunted as he came out from his dreams, panting heavily and sweating profusely as his upper body shot up from the covers.

"…Yoruichi." Ichigo whispered as he whipped the sweat from his brow.

_**Las Noches: Outside Ichigo's Room (The Next Morning) **_

'_Hopefully he is okay… he seemed not like himself when we left the beach yesterday.' _Risha thought out of concern as she rounded the hallway that lead to Ichigo's room.

'_Here it is.' _Risha thought as she walked towards her intended destination.

"Ichigo." Risha called out in an attempt to alert Ichigo of her presence.

"Ichigo." She repeated as she knocked on the door, becoming confused that she was met with no answer.

'_Well it is opened…' _Risha thought in an attempt to rationalize the fact that she was about to sneak into Ichigo's room.

Slowly but surely, she opened the door so as to peer inside, but what she saw was not what she was expecting.

"What?" Risha exclaimed as she saw that Ichigo's bed was made and that he was not in the room.

'_Where could he be?' _Risha wondered, being rather concerned for the moment.

_**Las Noches: With Ichigo**_

Since waking up to the tune of a fresh memory, Ichigo had felt disgusted with himself, which wasn't much different from prior, but at least now he knew the reason for why he felt the way he did.

Many things raced through his head as soon as he woke, many having to do with what his next course of action would be, but the request he was about to make had him reconsider his thoughts.

Such thoughts were simple, bring Yoruichi here to Las Noches and have her be an ally if and when he should choose to go against Aizen. Should Aizen allow the request to be granted, it gave Ichigo an opportunity to learn more about Aizen himself from Yoruichi should she know anything, and it also gave Ichigo the opportunity to show fake loyalty for Aizen's kindness in the matter. If he never found a reason to go against Aizen, Yoruichi would at least not have to live with the mental strain of what had happened, and she would know Ichigo was alive without Ichigo himself having to reveal himself, which was something that Aizen was rather intent on him doing. All in all he felt it was the best possible solution, but there was a problem, and it had been plaguing his thoughts since he had considered the possibility.

He had told himself that the main reason for bringing her here was so that she could help him in taking down Aizen if he felt he needed to, but that seemed more and more like a lie with each passing thought on the matter.

Ichigo believed he and Yoruichi would have been more than friends if he hadn't gone to Hueco Mundo, or at least, he felt that way. However, to make the request to Aizen he would have to say that it was for her sake, not his own, which would mean he would have to be able to sound as if he didn't care as much as he did for Yoruichi, but that would be difficult. If Aizen were truly bent on controlling Ichigo, he could easily use that to his advantage, and thus the problem with the request became apparent.

For now, all he did was stare at the plain white door to the largest personal quarters in all of Las Noches, simply thinking about how this would play out.

'_Here goes nothing._' Ichigo thought before bringing his hand up to the door.

_**Las Noches: Aizen's Room **_

Aizen's sleep was abruptly cut off as the sound of someone knocking on his door woke him from his slumber.

"If that's you Gin, I swear I'll do more than trap you in the ground for a day." Aizen threatened, expecting he knew who was at his door.

"It's not Gin… its Ichigo." The voice replied, causing Aizen to widen his eyes out of mild confusion for a moment.

"I'll be right out." Aizen said as he got up from his bed.

'_This isn't going to be a conversation that I'm going to enjoy.' _Aizen thought, getting a premonition that he would prefer not to have.

_**Las Noches: Aizen's Room (Several Minutes Later) **_

The door abruptly opened, revealing Aizen to be dressed in his usual garb with his characteristic smile gracing his features.

"Come in Ichigo." Aizen said, prompting the Primera Espada to comply.

The two walked over to a small coffee table that was situated at the center of the room, though ironically enough it was being used as a tea table, indicated by the cuts of tea present at the center of it.

"So I take it something is on your mind." Aizen guessed as he sat down, followed shortly by Ichigo.

"More so than that…" Ichigo trailed off.

'_How am I going to ask this?' _Ichigo wondered, mentally trying to gather his words into his request.

"Does this have something to do with who you saw yesterday?" Aizen asked, knowing full well that he was correct in his assumption when Ichigo began to frown.

'_He is reacting emotionally to that question… this is excellent. If my assumption is correct, he will regain the remainder of his memory shortly should the opportunity arise._' Aizen thought, inwardly content with the situation.

"Have you remembered who it was you saw?" Aizen questioned, causing silence to ensue as Ichigo seemed to have trouble.

"The woman I saw was Yoruichi Shihoin." Ichigo replied causing Aizen to become confused.

'_Why would seeing her bother him?' _Aizen wounded, having expected that he saw Rukia Kuchiki or Orihime Inoue once more. If either of those two had been the woman he saw, the emotional reaction would be expected, but not in this case.

"I… I am aware that most of my friends and the entirety of the Soul Society believe me to be dead… but the look I saw in her eyes before I vanished just made me completely disgusted with myself, something that has not happened to me since I regained my memories." Ichigo began, breaking Aizen out of his thoughts.

"Even when I remembered what you did to keep me here, I gave you the benefit of the doubt because I don't exactly know who's in the right at the moment given what I remember about the Soul Society, which is why I didn't outright leave when I found out about Orihime. But that look in her eyes… all I could see was hope mixed with devastation, and the feeling only intensified as I remembered what had happened the night before you had me come to Hueco Mundo." Ichigo continued, causing Aizen to practically choke on his tea.

"Excu *caugh* excuse me *caugh* Ichigo." Aizen said as he regained his composure.

"So she and you…" Aizen trailed off, causing Ichigo to blush before shaking his head quickly to disavow the notion.

"Well… I did sleep with her but actually slept, as in not…" Ichigo said, knowing full well that Aizen could guess what he was about to say, as evident by the nod Aizen gave in response.

"But I didn't come here to tell you about that." Ichigo stated, causing Aizen to raise a brow.

"I came here to tell you that I want to bring her to Las Noches." Ichigo said, causing Aizen to frown. Yoruichi was clearly important to Ichigo, that much was obvious to him, but she wasn't the one he wanted Ichigo to see. He needed a catalyst for him to regain the remainder of his memories, then, and only then, would he be able to enact the final stages of his plan and subsequently secure the death of the Spirit King, once and for all.

"You know that I can't allow that Ichigo, especially now that…" Aizen began before being cut off.

"I can't in good conscience just leave her after what happened. I don't know what she felt, or what I felt, but it was there and I'd sooner die then allow her to suffer because I was dumb enough to go up to her and allow her to see me." Ichigo said with conviction.

This behavior was characteristically noble of Ichigo, and Aizen had expected him to say something like this given the information Ichigo had provided, but that said, he now knew where the conversation was going, as well as several key factors that were involved.

'_Perhaps this can indeed be of use to my goals._' Aizen thought, allowing a small detour in his plan to slowly form within his thoughts. What Ichigo said next, Aizen had expected and rather counted on.

"You're smart enough to know what's going on right now because she's seen me." Ichigo added.

A minute passed as neither of the two said a word, both knowing full well the possibilities of false hope was evident in her mind now, no matter how she chose to look at it.

"Let me bring her here." Ichigo said slowly and quietly, breaking the silence.

"I'm afraid the answer is still no Ichigo." Aizen replied, still trying to sculpt the conversation into a different form. All he had to do now, was act the part and then allow Ichigo to make a rash decision, one that he knew he would have to grant in order to do what must be done.

Ichigo slammed his fist on the coffee table, nearly causing the tea to fly out of its cup before making to speak once more.

"You know damn well what's going to happen if she sees me on the battlefield, she's going to lose it and I won't sit by and watch that happen!" Ichigo declared, causing Aizen to shake his head in frustration before silence once again ensued.

"You once said that you would allow my friends to live if I fought for you… well the only way I can see her living happily is if I can convince her that no one will die, and that she is better off here." Ichigo said, using one final combination of words to secure his request's approval.

'_Perfect…_' Aizen thought contentedly, inwardly smirking before the next words left his mouth.

"Even if I were to grant your request, she along with the Soul Society and its allies are currently in the Soul Society preparing for the coming war." Aizen pointed out, though his words didn't seem to deter Ichigo at all, and that was exactly what Aizen wanted to see.

"I invaded the Soul Society once…" Ichigo began with a definitive tone, causing no visible reaction out of Aizen.

"…I can do it again." Ichigo finished.

"I will not risk losing my Primera Espada on a matter such as this… either way you won't be able to penetrate the barrier and walls that surround the Seireitei, which you will need to do in order to even speak to her. In addition to this, you would have to convince her to willingly come with you. The risks are just too great Ichigo." Aizen pointed out, listing all the flaws in Ichigo's logic.

He knew full well what Ichigo had in store for his reasoning, and he also knew the extents Ichigo was willing to go if he really wanted to accomplish something. That said, he would now have to make it appear as if granting the request would somehow be an act of kindness on his part, that, or he would have to get something out of the attack in the first place. However, he was quite counting on accomplishing both of these things.

"The barrier isn't a problem, and worst case scenario is I bring her here, she doesn't want to be here, and she leaves, in which case I will be revealed, but this is bound to happen, eventually." Ichigo replied, causing Aizen to release a tired sight, appearing to be mildly annoyed.

"So you would fight through the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and all of its allies for the remote possibility of allowing someone you once cared for to live happily?" Aizen asked.

"I've done things like that for less." Ichigo replied.

'_Excellent… now all that is needed is a few precautionary steps and his memory shall return.' _Aizen thought.

"It appears that regardless of what you choose to do, I risk losing my Primera Espada. Therefore, I will not allow you to go alone." Aizen stated, causing Ichigo's hopes to rise.

"It may not be a bad test run for the coming war." Aizen added, believing that this would merely be an added bonus if what he had planned became successful, but they always did, so he wasn't worried about the expected outcome.

"You won't regret this Lord Aizen." Ichigo said, respectfully, finding himself in a rather good mood at the moment.

"However…" Aizen began, noting that he wished to continue the conversation.

"I cannot justify this mission as a personal quest of yours… therefore you will make this an attack that has the goals of observation in mind. I shall pick out several targets, and you shall choose who you will be bringing and give them their assignments." Aizen continued.

"I will personally make sure the Espada understand no captain or lieutenant class Soul Reaper's are to be killed, and that squad four is to remain intact. You however will need to explain why it is they are searching for a woman in the midst of the assault." Aizen added, prompting Ichigo to nod in understanding.

"I'll take care of it." Ichigo replied. He had figured from the start that this would be something he would have to do.

"There is one more thing I will ask you to do should you be able to successfully enter the Seireitei." Aizen began.

"What do you need me to do?" Ichigo asked.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Chambers (One Hour Later) **_

"Is everyone present?" Aizen asked once he had entered the meeting room with Ichigo at his side.

"Everyone you requested Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra replied as Aizen and Ichigo took their places at the head of the table.

"Why the hell was this meeting called anyway?" Nnoitora grumbled in an annoyed tone.

"The purpose of this meeting will be revealed in a moment, Nnoitora." Aizen said before turning to Tosen and giving him a discrete nod.

The blind Soul Reaper then walked towards a wall behind the head of the table and pulled a lever, creating a holographic projection of the Soul Society at the center of the table.

'_What the hell is this?' _Many of those present wondered similarly, confused as to what this pertained to.

"The reason this meeting was called is because I am sending a dispatch team to strike at the heart of the Soul Society." Aizen stated, causing most everyone to go wide-eyed at his words.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Barragan asked with contempt. Though he wasn't one to complain about striking down the Soul Reapers, he believed such a feat to be impossible.

"No, in fact I'm quite serious about this mission." Aizen replied, having lost his usual smile and replaced it with a look of absolute seriousness.

"Ichigo will lead a team that will arrive outside the Seireitei via a Garganta, after which your mission will begin." Aizen said after several seconds of silence.

"If I may ask, what would be the point of invading the Soul Society in the first place?" Starrk asked after hearing what Aizen wanted them to do.

"Three reasons. Firstly, I wish to see how the Espada match up to the Soul Reaper captains and their allies and secondly, a direct attack on the Soul Society itself would strike them with a deep fear, breaking what little morale they have left." Aizen explained, though he clearly left something out, and this confused many present.

"So… what's the third reason?" Grimmjow asked, voicing the question that had entered the minds of the gathered arrancar.

"Ichigo…" Aizen called, prompting said person to nod.

"There is a target of interest that is currently present in the Soul Society that is to be brought here to Las Noches… unharmed." Ichigo said, causing many to grow confused, though their confusion was short lived.

"Wait, wait, wait, this wouldn't happen to be the person you saw on the beach yesterday, would it?" Grimmjow asked, having now realized that this was likely not Aizen's idea in the first place.

"And if it is?" Ichigo replied, prompting Grimmjow to scoff and three certain women to frown slightly, having known that the person Ichigo saw was a woman, the appearance of whom was mysterious.

'_I'll bet she's gorgeous…_' Halibel, Nel, and Risha thought similarly. The main difference in that thought, however, was a hostile intent coming from Halibel, and a mix of sadness and jealousy from Nel and Risha.

"Fine by me, I don't really care. As long as I get fight some Soul Reapers I'd be happy to tag along." Grimmjow replied with a grin of bloodlust entering onto his face.

"I believe I may as well add that killing the captain and lieutenant level Soul Reapers is out of the question. Take them out of combat if you like, but no killing." Ichigo said causing Barragan to grunt in disapproval.

"I will not take part in this clear attempt to keep this runt in our army, sparing the lives of Soul Reapers is…" Barragan said before being cut off.

"You will not be going in the first place Barragan, so don't worry your arrogant little head over it." Ichigo said, infuriating the aged arrancar.

"Brat." Barragan mumbled before using sonido to exit the meeting room, believing that spending any more time in said area would be a waste of his time.

'_Barragan really needs to learn how to sit down and shut up.' _Starrk thought, having expected that reaction from Barragan the instant the no-kill rule was set into place. Starrk was on board with that part, and he figured that this would be something that would help Ichigo out. He just hoped that if this person was, in fact, brought to Las Noches, Ichigo would be less alone, meaning there would be someone from his past he could connect with. However, one thing still bothered the Segunda.

"One thing still confuses me…" Starrk trailed off, outwardly ignoring the fact that Barragan disapproved so vehemently.

Everyone was broken out of their thoughts as Starrk spoke, making him the current center of attention.

"I remember being told at one point that the Soul Society is surrounded by a supposedly impenetrable barrier, and some kind of rock that is supposed to absorb spiritual pressure." Starrk began.

"So… care to tell us why we're talking as if we have a way around that barrier without alerting the captains?" Starrk asked, raising a good point.

A moment of silence ensued due to the fact that Aizen, and only Aizen, had an inclination as to how Ichigo had intended to destroy the barrier and subsequent wall of sekkiseki. On top of that, most were fully aware that the Soul Reapers had modified the energy barrier after Ichigo and his friends had broken through during their intrusion.

"I will take care of that." Ichigo replied, breaking the silence and getting mixed reactions from those present.

"Just how are you gonna do that?" Nnoitora snorted, obviously out of disbelief.

"You will find out soon enough." Ichigo answered cryptically.

"If none of you have any more questions, I have chosen several of you to come with me." Ichigo stated.

"_Since we are doing battle will I __**be needed to **__maintain __**the link?**_" Aaroniero asked.

"Those that will be coming will be Starrk, Halibel, Ulquiorra, Nelliel, Nnotiora, Grimmjow, and, of course, you, Aaroniero." Ichigo responded.

"Oooooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned as he tugged on Ichigo's Espada uniform.

"Ummmmmm." Ichigo hummed as he turned to see if Tosen had any idea what Wonderweiss was doing.

"I believe he wishes to accompany you Ichigo." Tosen stated, sensing that the Primera was confused at Wonderweiss's action.

"Alright then, you can come along as well Wonderweiss." Ichigo said, prompting Wonderweiss to immediately use sonido to exit the meeting room, leaving a completely confused Ichigo.

"Wonderweiss is… complicated." Tosen explained vaguely.

'_Whatever.' _Ichigo thought, simply opting to shrug off his confusion.

"If any of you want to see how your fraccion match against the lieutenant class Soul Repapers, be my guest, but you yourself must brief them on the mission." Ichigo added.

"Quick question…" Starrk said.

"Yes?" Ichigo asked.

"Everyone here is aware of the rules regarding releases in Las Noches, shouldn't we have something like that if our objective is not to kill everything in sight." Starrk reasoned, again raising a good point.

"What kind of a lame excuse is that?" Grimmjow scoffed.

"Don't worry Grimmjow, you along with Nelliel and Nnoitora will be free to release." Ichigo reassured, causing Grimmjow's grin to return in full force.

"But any of the others should only use their Resurrección if it isn't absolutely necessary." Ichigo added.

"Anything I missed?" Ichigo asked, addressing Aizen.

"Just a few minor details." Aizen replied before elaborating.

"Ichigo Kurosaki's role as the Primera Espada is not to be revealed. As far as rankings go for the sake of this mission, you are the Primera, Starrk." Aizen said, prompting Starrk to nod his head in understanding.

"You will meet in the throne room before departing and I believe you will need to hear a description of the person you will be searching for." Aizen said, giving Ichigo the sign to speak.

"Her name is Yoruichi Shihoin. She has purple hair, golden eyes, and dark skin. As far as Soul Reapers go, if you see one that is capable of defeating an Espada with their bare hands, that's likely her." Ichigo explained.

"If that is all…" Ichigo trailed off as he looked to Aizen for any more details, though he simply nodded in confirmation that the meeting had adjourned.

"We meet in the throne room one hour from now." Ichigo said, prompting most of the arrancar to vanish via sonido. The only ones left in the room were currently Aizen, Gin, Tosen, Risha, Ichigo, and Szayel.

"Risha, leave for your room. I will be there in a second." Ichigo said.

"Very well." Risha replied before doing as she was asked.

"If Szayel is here, I assume you have something for me." Ichigo guessed as he turned to face the grinning pink-haired arrancar.

"You know me all too well." Szayel replied in a joking tone.

"Since your excursion to the world of the living, I had Szayel perfect a form of arrancar clothing that would hide your identity perfectly." Aizen stated.

'_At least that's one less thing to worry about.' _Ichigo thought before Szayel gave him what appeared to be an all-white hooded robe.

"It has the dual purpose of distorting your voice once the hood is up, but you'll figure out how as soon as you change." Aizen added.

"And it's ever so stylish as well." Szayel commented in a jovial manner.

"I need to make some last minute preparations before we leave." Ichigo said, immediately after which he used sonido to leave the room, an action which Szayel mimicked a moment later.

"Do you believe this to be the best decision?" Gin asked seriously once the arrancar had all left.

"Such things must occur if my plan is to be a success." Aizen replied.

"And what do you mean by that?" Gin questioned with a raised brow.

"Simple… the woman Ichigo Kurosaki met in the world of the living was not Rukia Kuchiki or Orihime Inoue as I had believed, therefore his memory will still require a further push before it is completely restored. There is another benefit that comes out of this, but perhaps that is information that will be transferred another time." Aizen answered before vanishing via flash step.

Gin just stood in the throne room, completely confused. Many things stuck him as odd about this, but whatever was going to happen, he knew he'd find out eventually.

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room **_

"Risha." Ichigo called as he entered the room of his fraccion via sonido.

"Yes?" Risha asked from directly behind Ichigo, startling him to an astronomical degree.

"Gah!" Ichigo yelped before turning around.

"How is it that even when I enter the room you still manage to do that?" Ichigo asked rhetorically.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean." Risha answered.

"Never mind… I'm here because I need to speak to you about something." Ichigo began, a serious expression coming to his features.

"I need you to stay behind and keep Yoruichi Shihoin safe if she agrees to come here." Ichigo stated, causing Risha to frown.

Risha, however, couldn't quite tell if she was frowning because Ichigo had asked her to look after the woman, or because he wasn't allowing her to come with him. Either way, it infuriated her to a degree.

"So you won't be bringing me with you again?" Risha asked in a tone of clear disappointment.

"Risha I…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"I am strong… stronger than most every other female arrancar, and yet you fail to see that. Why is it you cannot see that I am more than capable of helping you?" Risha asked in a hurt tone, glaring daggers at Ichigo.

'_Had a feeling this would happen…' _Ichigo thought as silence ensued after Risha's question.

"I asked you something, I expect an answer." Risha stated with venom backing her words.

"I know you're strong… but I trust you and I need you here to take care of her if I can convince her to come." Ichigo replied, prompting Risha's frown to recede slightly at his words.

'_At least he trusts me…' _Risha thought in an attempt to quell her annoyance.

"If I do… I need you to promise me that when the time comes you will allow me to fight by your side." Risha stated, confusing Ichigo.

"Why is it that you want to fight alongside me so badly?" Ichigo asked, genuinely curious as to why this was the case.

"I'll answer your question if you tell me why you seem to not want me to fight by your side." Risha retorted, causing Ichigo to sigh.

"Okay… I don't want you to get hurt. You've been through enough and I don't think I could live with myself if I allowed you to die on the battlefield because I couldn't protect you because I wasn't strong enough." Ichigo replied, causing Risha to release a small smile. He at least cared, and that was a start.

"If that is how you feel… then you are as moronic as you are clueless." Risha joked, chuckling after Ichigo just gave her an odd look.

"The reason I wish to fight with you… is because I don't want you to die… you may want to protect me but what you want to protect is not the same as what I want to protect." Risha began, waling up to Ichigo as she did so.

"You would throw your life away needlessly if it meant that you could save someone you cared for. Someone has to be there to make sure you are protected since you won't do it yourself." Risha said before capturing Ichigo in a tight embrace.

"Risha…" Ichigo whispered as he returned the gesture and began to stroke her upper back with one of his hands.

The two continued their embrace in silence for several minutes with their eyes closed, simply enjoying the little moment they were experiencing.

'_I suppose I should spell it out for him since he is so damn dense.' _Risha thought before she pulled her head out of the embrace to look into Ichigo's eyes.

"You mean a great deal to me Ichigo… that is why I won't let you die." Risha stated.

As soon as those words left Risha's mouth, she brought her hand behind Ichigo's head and brought her lips to his in a forceful, needy kiss.

This time however, Ichigo had the proper bearing to kiss Risha back, something that caused his fraccion to release a throaty moan. The two did so for as long as they could before coming out of the affectionate gesture for air.

Risha rested her forehead on Ichigo's chest with her eyes closed and a genuine smile on her face as she released a contented sigh.

"I promise…" Ichigo began, causing Risha to look up into his eyes once more.

"…I promise that I won't leave you behind from now on… but you need to stay here for now and make sure Yoruichi is safe… okay?" Ichigo said, prompting Risha to nod slowly in response.

"I suppose that's as good as I could have asked for. Where will she be once she arrives?" Risha asked.

"She will be in my room, just come up there in a few minutes." Ichigo replied.

"Ichigo… just be safe." Risha said in a quiet voice, as if pleading with him.

Ichigo nodded before using sonido to exit the room, immediately after which Risha walked over to the balcony that overlooked the deserts of Hueco Mundo.

"I wonder who this woman is." Risha though aloud as she leaned on the railing of her balcony.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

Ichigo arrived in his room via sonido, subsequently becoming aware of the fact that he was not alone.

"Do you need something?" Ichigo asked after turning to see Halibel sitting on the side of his bed.

As Halibel got up, Ichigo could see the glare that she now sported, something that sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.

"W-Why are you here Halibel?" Ichigo asked with slight fear evident in his tone as Halibel walked up towards him, though he did not move an inch despite his instincts telling him he was about to be thrown through a wall again.

"I know full well why we are being sent to the Soul Society, it wasn't Aizen's plan it was yours. I would gladly help you, but before I do, I need to know… why do you want to bring this woman to Las Noches so terribly?" Halibel questioned.

'_She can't really be… could she?' _Ichigo wondered as he gave Halibel and odd look for a moment.

"Are… are you jealous?" Ichigo asked, causing Halibel to noticeably blush.

"And if I am?" Halibel countered, surprising Ichigo.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're actually…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"I would choose your words carefully Ichigo." Halibel warned, not wanting to be teased by her "close" comrade.

Ichigo brought his arms around Halibel, surrounding her lower back with his hands and pulling her closer to him, bringing his head closer to her ear before speaking.

"This woman has saved my life in the past Halibel, she taught me while I was still a Soul Reaper and I owe her a great deal." Ichigo whispered, causing Halibel to tense.

"That isn't a good enough reason to go to the extents you have chosen to go." Halibel replied, jealousy evident in her tone.

"Halibel… when I saw here on the beach the look of devastation on her face ripped my heart out of my chest… I could hardly bare it and now I know why… please just do this for me." Ichigo replied in a hushed tone before he began to sway from side to side with Halibel in his arms.

At this point, something occurred to Ichigo, and it wasn't a pleasant thought. He had kissed Halibel, Nel, and Risha previously. He was pretty sure neither of the three knew about it, and he was pretty sure that each of them had feelings for him, but at the moment, he decided to put that in the back of his mind until the task at hand was complete.

"Just because I'm going to such extents doesn't mean that you mean any less to me Halibel." Ichigo added as he brought his head off of Halibel's shoulder and looked deeply into her flawless green eyes.

'_I suppose now would be as good a time as any…_' Halibel thought before beginning to speak once more. Just because Ichigo said this woman didn't make her any less in his eyes, didn't mean that she was okay with the scenario, therefore, she thought it best to act before the fact.

"Ichigo, I've wanted to ask you this for some time…" Halibel began, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow.

"Will you be my…" Halibel said before an abrupt knock on the door interrupted her.

'_I swear I'm going to turn that damn door into dust the second I am able.' _Halibel thought as she closed her eyes out of frustration.

"May I come in?" Risha asked from the other side of the door.

"Doors opened." Ichigo replied, prompting his fraccion to enter the room to see Halibel and Ichigo still in an embrace.

"Am I interrupting something?" Risha asked in a calm tone, though she was inwardly seething with jealousy. She just assumed Ichigo was comforting Halibel in some regard, that was just the type of person he was. Despite this, she was still jealous.

"Not anymore…" Halibel mumbled as she broke off from Ichigo.

"When we get back I need to speak to you in private." Halibel stated before using sonido to leave the room.

'_What was that about?' _Risha wondered.

"I need a sec to change so please wait outside." Ichigo said after Halibel had left.

"Before I leave, I need to ask you something… do you expect that this Yoruichi will willingly come to Las Noches?" Risha asked, genuinely curious as to what Ichigo believed would happen.

"I… I don't really know." Ichigo replied honestly before Risha complied with his previous request and left the room.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room (One Hour Later) **_

"You all know your assignments?" Aizen asked after the arrancar gathered at the center of the throne room. The general response was a dull nod of confirmation from each individual present.

"Ulquiorra, open the Garganta." Aizen ordered, prompting the green-eyed Espada to flick his wrist and summon the colossal dark hole behind the group of hollows.

"Is everyone ready?" Ichigo asked as he stepped up towards the Garganta.

When he was met with silence, Ichigo simply walked through the dark abyss, shortly followed by his comrades.

After everyone had entered, the Garganta slammed shut, leaving Aizen waiting in his throne room with a skeptical look on his face, as if debating whether or not his plan would follow through. Normally, he would be quite confident, but too many possibilities existed in the current scenario, too many for his liking.

"I sense you are uneasy Lord Aizen." Tosen respectfully pointed out, causing Aizen to chuckle.

"Ichigo Kurosaki has always had that unsettling trait wherever he goes… but I suppose it can't be helped." Aizen mused before walking out of the throne room.

_**Soul Society: Forest (Other Side of the Garganta) **_

'_You know I get the weirdest sense of deja vu now that I think about it.' _Ichigo thought as he exited the Garganta, his mind wandering to memories of when he invaded the area to save a female Soul Reaper. Ironically enough he was once again here for a girl, albeit a different circumstance.

"Why the hell are we in this piece of crap forest?" Nnoitora complained after coming out of the dark abyss.

"As of yet, we are unable to open up a Garganta within the confines of the Seireitei, therefore it was needed that we arrive near one of its gates." Ulquiorra explained.

"So if this is supposed to be by a gate, where the hell is it?" Grimmjow asked, only being able to see the Seireitei off in the distance.

"The gate should be…" Ichigo said as he took a step forward, triggering a massive wall to pop into existence, effectively blocking his path.

"…here." Ichigo finished after the massive wall had finished its appearance.

"The barrier that is surrounding these walls is incredibly powerful." Halibel pointed out as she poked an area on the wall, only to be met by an invisible barrier.

"Let me try something…" Grimmjow said whilst grinning like a maniac before outstretching the palm of his hand towards the gate.

A crimson cero began to spark to life, aimed directly at the walls.

"Cero!" Grimmjow roared, sending the doom blast towards its intended target.

Much to the surprise of most, the cero impacted with the barrier, not even making a dent as it was completely absorbed to the point that not even dust was left of the powerful attack.

"A normal cero won't be able to break down this wall… perhaps if you were to fire a Gray Rey Cero." Sung-Sun suggested, addressing Ichigo.

"Gran Rey Cero won't cut it, neither will Cero Oscuras… not even at full strength would one of those types of cero be able to destroy this barrier and the wall behind it." Ichigo explained, causing some of those present to grow confused.

"_Primera… what do you__** plan to do **__about the gate? __**If it remains our objective will be **__unreachable._" Aaroniero commented.

"All of you put as much distance away from me as is possible…" Ichigo ordered, confusing most everyone present.

"I can't really control what I'm about to do all too well, and the mission would suffer if any of you were to get caught in the blast." Ichigo added.

"Ha, the only reason I came here was to see you fail to get past those damned gates, so why would I miss out on that?" Nnoitora asked with contempt prevalent in his voice.

"Humor him Nnoitora." Starrk said lazily before disappearing via sonido along with Lilynette.

"Killjoy…" Nnoitora mumbled before using sonido as well.

One by one each of the arrancar left the immediate area, following Ichigo's instructions and getting as far off as possible while still remaining concealed from sight. Once each was gone, Ichigo let out a tired sigh before facing the gates once more.

"Here goes…" Ichigo said as he brought up both of his fingers and outstretched his index fingers at the gates.

_**Soul Society: 1**__**st**__** Division's Barracks, Captain's Meeting Room **_

"This meeting to discuss wartime efforts is hereby called to order." Yamamoto stated.

"Everyone announce your presence!" Yamamoto bellowed, prompting everyone to sound off.

"Captains of squad two, Shaolin Soifon, reporting."

"Lieutenant of squad two, Marechiyo Omaeda, reporting."

"Captain of squad four, Retsu Unohana, present."

"Isane Kotetsu, lieutenant of squad four, present and accounted for."

"Captain of squad six, Byakuya Kuchiki, reporting."

"Renji Abarai, squad six lieutenant, present."

"Captain of squad seven, Sajin Komamura, reporting.

"Iba Tetsuzaimon, lieutenant of squad seven, present."

"Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, present."

"Lieutenant Nanao Ise, here."

"Lieutenant of squad nine, Shuhei Hisagi, present."

"Captain of squad ten, Toshiro Hitsugaya, reporting."

"I'm here too!" Rangiku chirped from behind her captain, causing him to sigh.

"Captain of squad eleven, Kenpatchi Zaraki… here, but I'd rather not be."

"It's okay Kenny! Lieutenant of squad eleven, Yachiru Kusajishi, here!"

"Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, reporting."

"Nemu Kurotsuchi, squad twelve lieutenant, reporting."

"Captain of squad thirteen, Jushiro Ukitake, reporting."

"Shinji Hirako, present." Shinji said before giving Hiyori a brief kick in the ass, signaling that she should sound off.

"Dammit, fine. Hiyori Sarugaki, present and not happy about it."

"Kensei Muguruma, and ditto."

"Don't be like that Kensei! Mashiro Kuna, here!"

"Rojuro Otoribashi, present and fabulous."

"Love Aikawa, present and annoyed."

"Hachigen Ushoda, present."

"Kisuke Urahara, at your service." Urahara said, giving an overdramatic bow. At this several of those present rolled their eyes in mild contempt for the shopkeeper's quirks.

"Yoruichi Shihoin, reporting."

"Very good, now the first order of business is…" Yamamoto began, only to be cut off by a terrifying boom that shook the foundation of the Seireitei.

A resounding shockwave sounded off, causing the winds to rage everywhere around the bastion of the Soul Reapers at such a speed that you could hear them even from inside a building as thick as the squad one barracks. The floor beneath their feet shook, making the very ground they stood on feel cataclysmic as the sound of rocks crushing buildings could be heard.

Though surprising beyond all belief, the effects left as soon as they came, causing everyone in the room to have wide eyes, either out of shock or worry.

"What the hell was that?" Shinji wondered aloud.

"Earthquake maybe?" Hiyori mused.

"They don't happen here." Urahara answered in a serious tone.

The confusion of the room's inhabitants was interrupted in the form of a squad two messenger who stormed through the door with an urgent look about him. Instantly upon entering he kneeled before the head captain before making to speak.

"Sir, a thousand pardons for interrupting your meeting, but I bring urgent news." The messenger stated.

"Go on then." Yamamoto ordered.

"Sir… the barrier and the gates of the west entrance… they… they have been completely destroyed." The messenger stated, causing almost everyone in the room to widen their eyes in shock, though Yamamoto just opened his eyes slightly at the news.

"I-Impossible." Hitsugaya stuttered as he began to sweat lightly, and action several others chose to mimic.

"I would be inclined to agree Captain Hitsugaya. The barrier itself should have been enough and even after that the sekkiseki stone should be indestructible." Mayuri stated as if not believing the news.

"How was it that this occurred?" Yamamoto questioned.

"Patrols have reported that the arrancar have been sighted at the entrance of the gate." The messenger replied.

"Aizen must have conjured up something to take down the barrier and the gate… but why he's would send the arrancar here is beyond me." Urahara thought aloud.

"It matters not! They will know the power of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" Yamamoto declared.

"All captains and lieutenants return to your barracks and defend them from the intruders! Use whatever force is necessary to defeat them." Yamamoto ordered.

"So we just sit here?" Shinji asked before releasing a sigh.

"I will remain here with you in the first division, this is a Soul Reaper affair and we will deal with it." Yamamoto replied.

"Sir… should we take any prisoners if need be?" Hitsugaya asked, raising a good question.

"No… this act of arrogance cannot go unpunished. They strike at the heart of the Soul Society and we will respond accordingly." Yamamoto bellowed, disappointing a few Soul Reapers present.

"Move out!" Yamamoto ordered.

The Soul Reapers immediately did as they were told and rushed to their respective divisions to defend the Seireitei from the intruders.

'_Something doesn't feel right…' _Urahara thought as he couldn't help but reflect on recent events.

"What is it Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked, noticing Urahara's look of general unease.

"Aizen has had the arrancar do some strange things lately… going to Karakura Town and returning Masaki's picture, and now invading the Soul Society… none of it makes sense and I can't for the life of me figure out why he would do these things." Urahara replied.

"Take it easy Kisuke… you can't really expect to know what's going on in that madman's head." Shinji stated.

"I suppose your right." Urahara reasoned.

_**Soul Society: Forest (Currently Outside the Destroyed Gate) **_

The attack had succeeded in everything it was meant to do and beyond. The barrier was crushed, the sekkiseki stone walls shattered, and the area behind the gate was nothing more than a massive crater. Buildings within several miles of the visible area lie in ruin due to the gusts of wind that erupted from the attacks collision and subsequent destruction of the gate. Behind Ichigo the trees of the forest were uprooted and cast to the side within an area of several yards around the Primera.

Ichigo stood with his hands at his side, panting heavily due to the side effects of using the new technique.

'_That attack… takes too much out of me.' _Ichigo thought as tried to collect himself once more, though he was unable to lessen the pace and depth of his breathing.

"What the hell was that?" Grimmjow exclaimed as he along with the other arrancar appeared behind Ichigo, his question matching the thoughts of his comrades.

Grimmjow's question, however, was met with silence due to the fact that Ichigo was still trying to catch his breath. In the meantime, all the others could do was look at the massive destruction caused by the attack.

"That attack…" Ichigo began, breaking the others out of their blank stares at the destroyed gate.

"…was something you will all eventually see. For the time being it is very difficult to control and I'd rather not risk using it around others." Ichigo continued, causing Grimmjow to grunt in annoyance.

"Aaroniero is to stay here and maintain our telepathic link, the rest of you know what where you need to go, right?" Ichigo asked as he turned to face his comrades, eliciting nods as confirmation from each of them.

"Good." Ichigo said before he brought the hood of his garb over his head, activating the mechanism that morphed his voice.

A golden piece of armor covered his mouth and most of his respective cheeks. The device appeared to have several lines going horizontally across his mouth, acting as a source of air and the means that altered his voice.

"**Move out.**" Ichigo ordered before using sonido to leave for his designated area.

**A/N So Ichigo invades the Soul Society, things will start to pick up from here and the fights start next chapter. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo invading the Soul Society**: If you think Ichigo Kurosaki invading the Soul Society for the sake of a woman is out of character, you clearly have never watched/read Bleach… aside from saying this, his invading of the Soul Society also acts as a catalyst for more memories to return, and served as a good re-entering into the action sequence of the story.

**What Aizen wanted Ichigo to get**: You will find out shortly.

**Will Ichigo fight his friends?**: He fights one of them, but it completely works out because said friend enjoys fighting… a lot. I just basically gave away that fight pairing, but I don't really care.

**Ichigo's reasoning**: Okay, so at this point he believes that Yoruichi could be a good person to have in Las Noches should he turn on Aizen. He remembers she is strong and capable, but that isn't the real reason. As I wrote/made Ichigo think, he is doing it more so because he feels like crap for doing what he did and also because he knows Yoruichi sees him as more than a friend, and believes he may feel the same on some level.

**Halibel's Jealousy**: The Harem girls for this first installment of this story series will come to clash somewhat shortly, but how it all works out is for me to know and for you to find out when I write it.

**Ichigo's New Attack**: I will say what it is and talk about it within three chapters, the fight scenes take up a lot of the next few chapters, but don't worry, the reveal will be worth it, or at least I hope it will be.

_**Reviews**_:

**Mexican ninja1996**: Glad to see even that you knew it was coming I still made it work.

**FinalDemon**: That was the intent, glad to see that was the effect xD.

**Kami no Uzumaki**: Portrait chance again, looks nice! Yes Aizen does think it was Rukia, Ichigo doesn't exactly know how he feels about Yoruichi, he just knows he cares about her more so than a friend, I am glad to hear that you like how I portray Aizen because, to me, weather he was good or evil never really was clear and I agree with the understanding part all things considered. I know the power scales are going up, but I don't like making a character too, too overpowered because that just takes away from the story. That's not to say that the scale of power doesn't increase in my story, but it won't be like planet-endangering levels. Also, Ichigo is a perfect hybrid, but he doesn't know that just yet. He will find out, and that will have a lot to do with how the story plays out.

**Ryden Purrson**: Glad to hear it! Now you know. Also thanks 3!

**darkmachines**: Thanks, also yeah, the scenes with Gin were quite funny ^^. Thanks you very much for offering the Segunda Etapa ideas, but I have the ideas for my own already set in stone. Also, good luck in college!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks! Glad to hear it, you now know what will happen next, Starrk does see Ichigo as a friend, and I will certainly try!

**hornet07**: Meh, the scene lead to this, and she might… ^^

: The others will likely be introduced in the sequel. First Ichigo will likely deal with Orihime, then he will likely deal with Rukia should I feel people want her in the harem. Just… just rest assured that I haven't forgotten about them. (Note: editor cut your name off, again, sorry, idk why it does this...)

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Not sure what you are referring to with "such a shame", but if it's the Yoruichi thing, they get reunited shortly. Also, that was the intent, glad to hear you liked it!

**Neo Rider Double Xtreme**: Thanks, also I don't know what SOPA is, but I assume this is the 'rated M' thing, either way, I just want it clarified.

**Guest(1)**: Thanks!

**the DragonBard**: Meh, just what I pictured when I was writing the chapter, also I kind of agree, and thanks for telling me what Soifon was wearing. I spent literally like twenty minutes on "Google" trying to figure that one out and couldn't xD

**Kuroi Rin**: Glad to hear you liked it, Ulquiorra is indeed a "good guy" or at least, I think so, he also would have been killed if Nel or Halibel had seen him, he does need to be less dense, glad to hear you laughed, it is hard for Yoruichi, but that's just how things go before they get better, I also like the Starrk Ichigo friendship angle, he is also becoming more and more "one of them" but then again, that also has to do with what happens next.

**friaku**: Happy to hear that you like Risha, I liked the bucket scene as well xD.

**Fire0770**: Glad to hear that you laughed a lot! She won't admit it because she won't have time, but all this ends up doing is creating a lot of havoc when… well, I guess you'll find out.

**That Anon**: Thanks! It will _DEFINITLY_ bite him in the ass later, and no, he can't get too comfortable… otherwise, there is no plot xD.

**Digitize27**: Thanks for your compliments!

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it, I also agree with the mermaid thing, it would've been awesome, and don't worry, they will likely be in the harem during the sequel.

**Guest(2)**: Thanks! The harem is likely subject to change in the sequel, depends on what people want.

**BleachFan21**: Thanks! Also, thanks for wishing me luck!

**EyeHeartOC's**: Glad to hear it!

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks for the compliment! Also, I hope the wait didn't actually kill you.

**Akuma-Heika**: I will respond to your other reviews next chapter on Friday, I have been busy with the move to college this past week, so it was a bit of effort just to write this chapter, though I do apologize for the long delay in my response. With the Nemu thing, it looked like a once-piece, but I could be wrong. I changed Kiyone's swimsuit just because I felt like it. I remembered it was green but since she only appeared once, I didn't really care all that much. I think Yoruichi is just very tanned… I think that is just up for interpretation. The word "who" was not in the line you pasted, so I am now confused xD. Thanks for poiting it out, I will fix it eventually, most likely when I am less busy. Glad to hear you like Risha, many people seem to, and that makes me happy! I do mean who you say, also I made it clear that Orihime and Uryu are just friends, and I might pair Rukia up with Renji, but I might not, depends on what people want to see/read. In general, I would just like to thank you for your reviews once again. It is actually quite impressive that in most chapters you have left an extensive review, and I just want to highlight the fact that I appreciate it.

**Hollow King**: …

**BigBossVince**: Yoruichi, Halibel, and Nel are tagged in this story, and Risha is someone who I have confirmed as a member. Also, Orihime is a most likely to be added in the sequel just because of the way that I have written the story. Also, sorry, but I am not in a position to recommend any stories at the moment. Since I started writing this, I haven't really had the chance to read any other stories.

**Mas2009**: Sorry you feel that way, but I don't like to write a ridiculously fast plot line, it just makes the story seem sloppy and ill-conceived.

**Guest(3)**: Glad to hear it! Again, with the harem it depends on what people want to see, but nothing will chance in this story, the sequel, the harem will likely increase in size by popular demand, but not by much. I dislike stories that have a harem with like ten plus females and Ichigo… it's just too hard to take those stories seriously.

**Shattered Fait**: Thanks! People did seem to like that part xD. He will, indeed, be "in for it", don't worry, we will, I am also kind of surprised by the lack of fics with her and Ichigo in them, but I might not be able to pair them together because… well, you'll see, also I still might do it anyway, depends on what people want to see/read. Really glad to hear that you like Risha, and thanks!

**Bigby the Big Bad Wolf**: She did, and it will be.

**Baka**: Hell of a name… but thanks! Also, for Ichigo's powers, I can't really answer that question for the sake of the story, but he does get stronger. (Note: Sorry, the editor cut your name off, idk why...)


	31. Opponents, Battle for the Seireitei

**A/N Sorry I didn't specify this last chapter, but the updates will be every Tuesday and Friday unless I otherwise specify, which I always will should I be modifying this schedule in any way. That aside, here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 31**

_**Soul Society: Forest (Currently Outside the Destroyed Gate) **_

The attack had succeeded in everything it was meant to do and beyond. The barrier was crushed, the sekkiseki stone walls shattered, and the area behind the gate was nothing more than a massive crater. Buildings within several miles of the visible area lie in ruin due to the gusts of wind that erupted from the attacks collision and subsequent destruction of the gate. Behind Ichigo the trees of the forest were uprooted and cast to the side within an area of several yards around the Primera.

Ichigo stood with his hands at his side, panting heavily due to the side effects of using the new technique.

'_That attack… takes too much out of me.' _Ichigo thought as tried to collect himself once more, though he was unable to lessen the pace and depth of his breathing.

"What the hell was that?" Grimmjow exclaimed as he along with the other arrancar appeared behind Ichigo, his question matching the thoughts of his comrades.

Grimmjow's question, however, was met with silence due to the fact that Ichigo was still trying to catch his breath. In the meantime, all the others could do was look at the massive destruction caused by the attack.

"That attack…" Ichigo began, breaking the others out of their blank stares at the destroyed gate.

"…was something you will all eventually see. For the time being it is very difficult to control and I'd rather not risk using it around others." Ichigo continued, causing Grimmjow to grunt in annoyance.

"Aaroniero is to stay here and maintain our telepathic link, the rest of you know what where you need to go, right?" Ichigo asked as he turned to face his comrades, eliciting nods as confirmation from each of them.

"Good." Ichigo said before he brought the hood of his garb over his head, activating the mechanism that morphed his voice.

A golden piece of armor covered his mouth and most of his respective cheeks. The device appeared to have several lines going horizontally across his mouth, acting as a source of air and the means that altered his voice.

"**Move out.**" Ichigo ordered before using sonido to leave for his designated area.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks (Some Time Later)**_

"Here we are ladies." Halibel stated as she appeared via sonido in the courtyard of the tenth division.

"Geez, what a dump." Apacci grumbled, herself preferring the palace that was Las Noches.

"Speaking of appearances, there doesn't seem to be anyone here at the moment." Sung-Sun observed upon noticing the dead silence within the barracks' courtyard.

"I can feel many fleeting spiritual signatures nearby. Judging by the distance they are from our current location, they chose to flee after our arrival was… announced." Nel stated, referring to the attack Ichigo had fired off.

"Perhaps it is better this way, Ichigo did ask us not to kill anyone if we didn't have to." Halibel reasoned, saying Ichigo's name quietly just in case anyone was nearby.

"Cowards." Apacci spat, only to be corrected a moment later in her assumption.

"Call them whatever you wish…" A voice called out from the entrance to the large barracks in front of the five female arrancar.

"They were following orders." Hitsugaya corrected as he placed his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto, narrowing his eyes at his soon-to-be opponents. To his right stood a fairly tall strawberry-blond woman with a lieutenant's badge who mimicked her captain's actions.

"What are your orders, captain?" Rangiku asked as she placed her hand on the hilt of her own blade, readying to strike at Hitsugaya's order.

"I sense the three nearest to the blond arrancar are not on the same level of strength as the other two. Therefore you will fight those three and I will take care of the others." Hitsugaya replied.

"You really believe you could kill the both of us by yourself?" Halibel asked her expression appearing to be that of amusement despite her high rise collar.

"I have no intention of killing you." Hitsugaya sternly replied, shocking his lieutenant and confusing the arrancar.

"Captain!" Rangiku exclaimed, recalling the captain commander's orders.

"Save it Rangiku, I failed to capture the arrancar that went to the world of the living and because of that we still know nothing, be it about our enemy, or about what happened to Ichigo. I will take whatever punishment I receive, but that will not stop me from doing what I know I must do." Hitsugaya declared, prompting Rangiku to smirk.

'_So… this one still holds some hope that Ichigo is alive._' Halibel and Nel thought similarly as they began to size the captain up.

"You didn't have to convince me." Rangiku said in agreement.

"Tia…" Nel whispered, getting the blonde's attention though she did not take her eyes off of the captain and his lieutenant. She was slightly surprised to hear the green-haired Espada used her first name, but she didn't appear to mind all that much.

"Be careful with this one… I don't think 'he' would really want him hurt." Nel continued, eliciting a nod of agreement form Halibel.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Hitsugaya questioned as the group of soon-to-be opponents continued their standoff to see who would act first.

"We were discussing the fact that I do not wish to fight, therefore she will be your opponent, not I." Nel replied, her words greatly confusing both Rangiku and Hitsugaya.

'_An arrancar that does not like to fight?'_ Hitsugaya wondered out of confusion, his facial expression shifting slightly as a result.

"Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, take on the lieutenant elsewhere." Halibel ordered.

"Alright, come on Soul Reaper. Let's leave these two to fight it out." Apacci stated.

"And why should I listen to you?" Rangiku scoffed.

"Rangiku, do as they say." Hitsugaya ordered.

"But captain!" Rangiku whined.

"Ha, serves you right." Apacci taunted.

"Stop being so annoying." Mila Rose said in an annoyed tone.

"Who died and made you queen?" Apacci shot back, glaring at her fellow fraccion.

"Must you always be immature?" Sung-Sun chided.

"Ladies, enough." Halibel ordered, breaking the group out of their petty squabble.

"Trouble with your subordinates?" Hitsugaya asked, though it was in a tone of mild understanding.

"Yes, but it would appear that you understand the feeling." Halibel replied.

"You have absolutely no idea." Hitsugaya stated.

"Hey!" Rangiku exclaimed, appearing to be offended.

"Just move to another location and begin your fight, try to win as soon as you can but if possible, don't kill them." Hitsugaya said, eliciting a nod of understanding from his lieutenant.

"Let's go, arrancar." Rangiku said before vanishing via flash step.

"That's my line." Apacci grumbled.

"Let's go ladies." Apacci ordered before vanishing via sonido.

"I can't stress how much I hate it when she does that." Mila Rose sighed before she and Sun-Sun followed suit.

"I will be watching from the sidelines." Nel stated before using sonido to appear on a nearby rooftop, sitting on it so as to have a better vantage point.

"Ready to get started?" Hitsugaya questioned, drawing his sword and pointing it towards the blonde-haired Espada.

"Of course… the real question is, are you?" Halibel asked.

After these words were said, Halibel placed her index finger in one of the circular holes that protruded from the top of her sword's hilt, after which she withdrew the sword, drawing it in a manner that made it spin like a windmill before she grabbed it and charged the captain.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks**_

"Where the hell is everyone?" Nnoitora wondered aloud, sounding incredibly annoyed.

He and Grimmjow had arrived at the sixth as they were instructed, only to find that the barracks were barren. They were sure that they had the proper location, and they were told that this would be where all the Soul Reapers would gather in order to defend their individual squad, and yet, it was a ghost town.

"If you were a weak little Soul Reaper and were told that the arrancar were invading and busted straight through the front door, what would you do?" Grimmjow asked rhetorically, making Nnoitora laugh.

"I guess you're right, can't really argue with that logic." Nnoitora mused.

All of a sudden, two obvious Soul Reapers appeared in the blur of flash step, landing directly in front of the two Espada, though they were a healthy distance away from them.

"This 'weak little Soul Reaper' as you say, wishes to have a word with you." Byakuya calmly said, staring emotionlessly at the two arrancar.

"I get to fight him." Grimmjow stated, grinning evilly as he eyed the black-haired captain.

"Like hell you do! Why should you get first call?" Nnoitora exclaimed.

"Because you suck at volleyball." Grimmjow replied, making Nnoitora grit his teeth.

'_What did he just say?_' Byakuya and Renji wondered simultaneously, though both maintained an emotionless demeanor.

"Captain…" Renji whispered, sounding particularly confused.

"Did that arrancar just say volleyball?" Renji asked, believing he was going mad.

"I am of that impression, but I believe we have misheard." Byakuya replied, thinking that what they were talking about could in no way be related to what he knew as 'volleyball'.

"Please, you won by one point and that was only because that idiot Yammy through the Primera into the ocean." Nnoitora said.

"Maybe, but I still won." Grimmjow retorted, smirking at his comrade.

"Tch, whatever… but if by the time I'm not done with pineapple head, we take the captain down together." Nnoitora said, causing a tick mark to appear on Renji's forehead.

"Who you calling pineapple head you string bean?!" Renji exclaimed, making Grimmjow laugh and Nnoitora's eyebrow twitch.

"Do not talk as if either of you has even remotely enough strength to take down either of us in combat. Your arrogance will be your undoing." Byakuya commented, making Grimmjow cackle and Nnoitora begin to do so as well.

"You find something funny?" Byakuya asked in his usual calm tone.

"No, just looking forward to kicking your ass." Grimmjow replied.

"Lucky bastard…. and all I get is the damn lieutenant." Nnoitora grumbled.

"Lieutenant or not, I am more than capable of beating you." Renji stated confidently, making Nnoitora smirk.

"Well, well, well, maybe you'll be able to entertain me after all." Nnoitora mused.

"We're gonna need some space so follow me." Nnoitora stated before vanishing via sonido, prompting Renji to follow suit, though he used flash step.

"Why is it that you arrancar are here?" Byakuya asked once Renji had left.

"To play matchmaker." Grimmjow joked before beginning to chuckle. Byakuya just raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired arrancar due to the fact that he didn't know what Grimmjow was referring to.

'_I almost feel like explaining it to him… almost._' Grimmjow thought amusedly.

"Since you will not answer that question, perhaps you can tell me about what happened to Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya said, making Grimmjow smirk.

"Beat me and maybe you'll find out." Grimmjow replied, making Byakuya narrow his eyes. Now Byakuya knew the arrancar had information that he was hiding, and if he had an opportunity to get that information, he would take it.

"Very well, if I need to defeat you to receive answers then prepare yourself, otherwise this will be quite boring. My name is Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of squad six, and I will defeat you." Byakuya stated, drawing his blade and raising it to his opponent.

Grimmjow, instead of immediately drawing his blade, raised his right hand, his grin increasing in size at the sight of Byakuya's eyes widening slightly.

'_An Espada?_' Byakuya thought out of shock. It was one thing for Aizen to send arrancar to the Soul Society, but it was an entirely different matter that he sent an Espada. If he was here, perhaps all of them were, and if all the Espada were here, why were they here? Regardless, none of the Espada had been directly identified and their power was a mystery, therefore, he knew he would have to tread carefully.

"Name's Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Octava Espada and you're worst nightmare." Grimmjow said before drawing his blade and rushing toward Byakuya.

_**Soul Society: 8**__**th**__** Division Barracks **_

Starrk and Lilynette came into the eight division's barracks via sonido, immediately taking note that no one appeared to be present. Starrk briefly searched with his pesquisa, finding no trace of spiritual energy within the immediate area.

'_Where the hell is everyone… I can sense a good amount of Soul Reapers in the far off section of the barracks, which means that they aren't going to come at us all at once, which means that they will likely send captains at us, which means we're going to have company soon._' Starrk thought.

"Lilynette, this the place?" Starrk asked lazily, turning his head to his companion.

"You'd know that if you weren't too lazy to remember the instructions." Lilynette chided, glaring slightly at Starrk.

"I'm not too lazy to remember, I just wasn't paying attention and there is a difference between the two." Starrk corrected.

"Why weren't you paying attention? This is pretty important to Ichigo after all." Lilynette said.

"Be careful using his name around here Lilynette, even if no one's around I'm positive plenty of people know who he is." Starrk commented, looking around to see who was even present.

"Speaking of which, are you okay with this?" Lilynette asked, slightly concerned.

"What do you mean by that?" Starrk asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"You know… about Ichigo sending us here just to get a girl. It doesn't seem normal. I admit that I like Ichigo, he's nice and I think we're friends, but even I can tell that this isn't a normal thing to do." Lilynette clarified.

"I've thought about that, and I think this has to do with Lord Aizen. If Ichigo has been regaining his memory, that means he's probably remembered a good bit about Lord Aizen. Because of that, I don't think the two aren't exactly on good terms." Starrk began.

"Even though outwardly Ichigo seems loyal, he's trying too hard to seem loyal, which means that he's either planning on turning on Lord Aizen and using this woman to help, or he is just seeing to what lengths Lord Aizen would go in order to keep him in his army." Starrk replied, sounding deep in thought.

"And you're okay with that?" Lilynette asked, sounding confused.

"No… no, I'm not. I'd have to say I see the kid as a friend, but I still owe Lord Aizen a lot… we owe Lord Aizen a lot. If it comes down to it, I don't think Lord Aizen will allow Ichigo to get too out of hand." Starrk answered.

"The thing is Lord Aizen isn't one to make mistakes… ever. I would say he knows Ichigo is just being loyal to him for his own reasons. That said, he wouldn't allow Ichigo to do this if he didn't get something out of it, and I can't for the life of me guess what it is." Starrk thought aloud.

"What'd you mean?" Lilynette questioned.

"Think about it, why would Lord Aizen allow Ichigo to come to the Soul Society, risk losing several Espada or even his being revealed just so that Ichigo could bring home someone from his past who might not even comply? That doesn't seem like something he would do, but I guarantee he has a reason behind it." Starrk stated, causing Lilynette to adopt an expression of deep thought.

"Then why would…" Lilynette said before being cut off.

"Get ready Lilynette, we've got company." Starrk stated, immediately looking in front of him on a spot where he sensed his opponent would appear.

Sure enough, in the exact spot where Starrk was staring, a man in a pink kimono and a straw hat appeared, looking somewhat happy and nonchalant, something that surprised Starrk, though he didn't voice it.

"Well hey there stranger." Kyoraku greeted, making Lilynette look at him with a confused expression on her face.

"I guess I should say hello, but I feel compelled to ask why no one else is here." Starrk replied, making Kyoraku chuckle.

"Well, the thing is, we really didn't know what strength the arrancar invading the Sereitei were, so only captains and lieutenants with a few exceptions were asked to fight." Kyoraku explained, his words mimicking Starrk's assumption.

"Then where is your lieutenant?" Lilynette inquired, noticing that the captain was currently alone.

"I had her stay back. Besides, she needs to keep the men in check while I'm out here." Kyoraku replied, scratching the back of his head slightly.

"Why are you telling us this?" Starrk asked, confused as to why the captain so readily answered his questions.

"Well I wouldn't have answered if I didn't expect ya to return the favor." Kyoraku stated, making Starrk frown slightly.

"So the way I see it, we really don't have to fight just yet, let's just relax a bit and have a pleasant conversation." Kyoraku suggested before sitting down. Starrk immediately liked the idea and mimicked the action of the captain, though Lilynette didn't bother to sitm due to her feeling uneasy about the situation.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but most likely I won't be able to answer many questions. However, since you had the common courtesy to answer mine, go ahead and ask." Starrk replied.

"Alright then… are you and the other arrancar here members of the Espada?" Kyoraku questioned.

"Yeah." Starrk simply replied.

"Interesting… mind telling me why you're here?" Kyoraku asked jovially.

"We're here to test the strength of the captains." Starrk replied, almost instantly.

"That all?" Kyoraku questioned with a raised brow. He knew what the arrancar had just told him appeared to be there truth, but he could tell there was more to it than that.

Starrk just shrugged his shoulders slightly, making the captain hum slightly and look at the Espada skeptically.

"Fair enough… then can you tell me what rank you are?" Kyoraku asked, guessing he already knew the answer to that question just based on his opponent's spiritual energy.

"Why do you wanna know?" Starrk questioned back.

"Simple really, you and I seem to be a lot alike, and I'm no slouch as a fighter. So if we're going to fight I'd at least like to know the strength of my opponent." Kyoraku explained.

"I am the Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk."

"Primera, eh? Seems like I got the strong one." Kyoraku said, releasing slight chuckled though his speech.

"And what's your name?" Kyoraku inquired, looking at the little girl by Starrk's side.

"Lilynette Gingerbuck, and I'm this moron's fraccion."

"Nice ta meetcha, my name is Shunsui Kyoraku and I am the captain of the eighth division."

"You clearly aren't being pleasant for no reason, so what is the real question you want answered?" Starrk asked, noticing that the captain was sidestepping something he clearly wanted to address.

"Well aren't you observant… alright then, there was a kid that went into Las Noches a while back. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki and we don't really know what happened to him. Many think he's dead, a few think he's just trapped in Las Noches, but something tells me you know what I'm talking about and might be able to tell me what really happened." Kyoraku stated, making Starrk's frown return.

"Sorry, but I can't really talk about that." Starrk replied.

"Can't or won't?" Kyoraku questioned.

"Both." Starrk replied.

"I see… that's unfortunate." Kyoraku said as he got up from his seat and placed his hand on the hilt of his longer sword.

Starrk got up and did the same a moment later, eyeing the captain to see what type of fighter he was. His eyes were immediately brought to the two swords he possessed, but that was about all he could discern.

The man's mannerisms and way of talking made it impossible to get an accurate read on his fighting style, but Starrk had a feeling that the captain wouldn't take the fight seriously at first, rather, he expected he would try to get information out of him, which is something he couldn't let happen.

"You sure you don't want to answer my questions instead?" Kyoraku asked before talking out his sword.

"I already told you, I can't." Starrk replied, mimicking the captain action by taking out his sword.

"Worth a shot…" Kyoraku mumbled before leaping towards Starrk.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division's Barracks **_

'_This is the area I was assigned, and by the looks of it, the Soul Reapers are all in hiding._' Ulquiorra thought, observing the barracks grounds he had entered.

'_Perhaps they are sending only the captains to combat us._' Ulquiorra mused.

He thought the Soul Reapers to be incredibly inept, but he had to give them credit, running from him was a good decision. Despite the fact he was asked not to kill anyone, if any of the low lever Soul Reapers attacked him, it would be in his best interest to kill them so the others would simply cower in fear.

"Oh, hello there." A white-haired man greeted as he walked out of one of the barracks' buildings, his greeting breaking Ulquiorra out of his observations.

"Am I to assume that you will be my opponent?" Ulquiora asked in an emotionless voice, not even bothering to return the greeting.

"I suppose so, but before we begin would you mind introducing yourself. I will start… my name is Jushiro Ukitake, captain of the thirteenth division."

"My name is Ulquiorra Cifer, and I assume because you told me your rank and squad you expect me to do the same…"

"If it isn't too much of a bother." The captain respectfully said.

"Very well, I am the Cuarto Espada." Ulquiorra replied, holding up his right hand for emphasis, and making Ukitake sweat drop.

'_So he is an Espada… and he is one of the more powerful ones as well._' Ukitake thought.

Thus far, they didn't know how strong the Espada were, and to go up against the fourth strongest of them without knowing his strength was risky, but he would have to defend his barracks all the same.

"So I assume the other present are Espada as well." Ukitake mused, not expecting an answer.

"Yes, but that information does you little good… why do you wish to know? Could it be that you are fearful for your comrades?" Ulquiorra replied, making Ukitake look at him with slightly widened eyes. The Espada had practically told him what he was thinking, and that scared him slightly.

"From your response I can tell I was correct… but I would advise you not to worry, at least, not yet. Once we have begun to fight, you will be able to sense the magnitude of my power and discern how strong the top three are, and once you have accomplished that, then you will have need to worry." Ulquiorra said.

His words caused Uktiake to grow nervous. This Espada seemed intelligent, and that usually indicated that person to be a strong fighter. On top of this, if the top three were also here and they were all stronger than him, then he had cause to worry, severely, but at the moment, he couldn't. The Cuarto was his opponent, and for now that is all he needed to focus on.

"Shall we begin?" Ulquiorra asked rhetorically, drawing his sword and staring at the captain emotionlessly.

Ukitake withdrew his sword a moment later, eyeing the Espada and wanting him to make the first move.

A moment later, Ulquiorra disappeared via sonido and reappeared directly in front of the white-haired captain, locking his sword him his own for a brief second before beginning their sword bout.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd**__** Division Barracks **_

"Oooooooooooooh." Wonderweiss moaned, looking around to see where anyone is. All he really knew was that he was looking for someone.

The way Gin had explained it to him was "Pretty lady with purple hair", though he distinctly recalled Tosen correcting Gin and giving him a more accurate description, which was ironic given the fact that Tosen was blind.

The person Wonderweiss knew he was looking for was a "Woman with Purple hair tied in a ponytail, golden eyes, and an orange shirt". But at the moment no one could be seen. As if on cue, a Soul Reaper appeared, eyeing Wonderweiss as if he were pray that was about to be hunted.

"Ohhh?" Wonderweiss moaned confusedly, tilting his head as he stared at the black-haired women in a white captain's haori. He knew for a fact that this woman wasn't the one he was looking for, but all the same he knew he was likely going to have to fight her.

Then a though popped into his head "No killing". Tosen had told him this and he had heard the kind orange-haired man say this, and he didn't want to disappoint either of them. But the way this woman was looking at him, he could tell he would have to fight.

"What are you doing in my barracks, arrancar?" Soifon questioned in a cold tone.

"Aaaaaaah." Wonderweiss replied, looking at the captain with a blank expression.

"What is wrong with you?" Soifon asked rhetorically, noticing that this arrancar appeared… different.

"Wonderweiss Margela… is… com… complicated." Wonderweiss sounded out, recalling that Tosen had referred to him as such previously.

"So you can talk, well that doesn't matter. I am Captain Soifon of squad two, and I am the one who will end you." Soifon declared before withdrawing her sword and charging the child.

_**Soul Society: Squad Eleven Barracks **_

Ichigo arrived in the middle of the eleventh division to find it empty, just as he had hoped.

'_Damn… that attack took a lot out of me…_' Ichigo thought, still feeling that he still wasn't at full strength. He had expected this considering that at full power that attack nearly caused him bodily harm to fire, but that was why he was in the eleventh division.

He knew that he would need to go up against a captain that wouldn't want to go all out right off the bat, and when Aizen told them about the captains, he specifically selected Kenpachi Zaraki, for more reasons that just recovery.

He knew his name sounded familiar, and the sooner he got his memories back, the sooner he would know what Aizen had done, and his role in all this. At that point, he could make the decision to leave his army, or even start a revolt as he was sure a few arrancar would help him if given enough time.

'_**Everyone report, can you hear me?**_' Ichigo asked via the telepathic link, courtesy of the former Espada they had brought along.

'_**I hear you, and I along with my fraccion are at our assigned area.**_' Halibel replied.

'_**So am I.**_' Nel said.

'_**Same.**_' Starrk and Lilynette replied simultaneously.

'_**As am I.**_' Ulquiorra said.

'_**I read ya.**_' Grimmjow stated.

'_**So do I.**_' Nnoitora replied, sounding bored.

'_**Ooooooooooh.**_' Wonderweiss moaned, Ichigo took that as confirmation. However, Wonderweiss sounded annoyed for some reason.

'_**You alright Wonderweiss?**_' Ichigo asked.

'_**A-angry… L-ady.**_' Wonderweiss replied, surprising Ichigo and many others with his speech. However, he quickly got over his surprise when he remembered what barracks Wonderweiss was at, and "Angry lady" was a good way to describe Soifon when she was in combat with someone she didn't know or care for.

"What the hell are you just standing there for?" A gruff voice questioned from a nearby wall, effectively breaking Ichigo out of his thoughts.

He had spikey hair with bells attached to it and an eye patch that covered his right eye. On his shoulder, a small girl with pink hair and a lieutenant's badge sat, appearing quite happy for some reason or other.

He immediately knew who he was, and the image of the man made him recall their first fight, or at least bits and pieces of it. For some reason, he felt to urge to do battle the man, despite the fact that he didn't want any of the captains hurt. But that thought was coupled with the knowledge that even if Kenpachi got cut up a good bit, he would have a hell of a time in the fight.

"**I was waiting for you, actually.**" Ichigo replied, making Kenpachi chuckle lightly.

"That so? Well I guess I don't really care." Kenpachi thought aloud.

"Before we start, I know you're the one who banged up Ikkaku in the world of the living, and I want to know, are you one of those Espada?" Kenpachi asked, immediately wanting to know how strong his opponent was.

"**Yeah, I'm an Espada, and I can promise you a good fight… if you're interested.**" Ichigo replied, causing Kenpachi's smile of bloodlust to form.

"Now you're speaking my language." Kenpachi replied.

"Yay! Kenny gets to have fun!" Yachiru chirped.

"**Yachiru, mind giving me and "Kenny" some space?**" Ichigo questioned in an amused tone, making Kenpachi raise an eyebrow but causing Yachiru to jump up onto a nearby building in order to get out of the way.

"How is it you know her name?" Kenpachi asked, sounding more so confused than surprised.

'_Dammit!_' Ichigo thought. He wasn't supposed to do things like that, but the fact that he remembered who he was and who Yachiru was didn't help.

"**You really think we'd come here without knowing who we were up against?**" Ichigo asked, covering his tracks.

"If that's the case then I assume you already know my name and have a feel for how I like to fight… but all the same, that means you know my name and I don't know yours." Kenpachi stated.

"**You don't need to know it, all you need to know is that we're going to fight and I'm going to win.**" Ichigo replied, making Kenpachi grin.

"Pretty confident Espada, let's see if you fight as good as you talk." Kenpachi said, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at his opponent.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Hitsugaya vs. Halibel **_

"Not bad, Soul Reaper…" Halibel stated, delivering a flurry of slashes to her opponent, who was forced to parry each and every one.

"…but not good enough." Halibel finished as she brought her sword across Hitsugaya's torso, using enough force to send him flying back, despite the fact that he had blocked the strike.

Hitsugaya immediately used flash step to appear in the air above the barracks, his blade raised to the sky, and prepared to unleash the power of his sword.

"Rain over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugya shouted, sending an ice dragon shooting down at the blond-haired Espada.

Halibel used sonido to dodge the attack and appeared in the air across from Hitsugaya, eyeing him emotionlessly and appearing unimpressed.

"If that's the best you've got, then it will take significant effort on my part not to kill you." Halibel stated before charging Hitsugaya once more.

The two once again locked blades, only it was clear who was on the defensive given the fact that Hitsugaya's zanpakuto was shaking under the pressure.

"Back off!" Hitsugaya exclaimed before breaking the stalemate and slashing his sword horizontally. The end result was an ice dragon shooting toward Halibel, taking the place of Hitsugaya's blade.

The Tercera used sonido to appear in front of the attack and flew towards Hitsugaya at impressive speeds, clashing swords with him and again putting him on the defensive as she had previously done.

Feeling as if he was on the back foot, and rightly so, Hitsugaya used flash step to gain the high ground advantage and fired off a slew of ice dragons in a pattern that would limit the movements of his opponent before diving down in an attempt to gain the advantage.

Halibel found herself too busy dodging several ice dragons to get out of the way and found herself being pushed down to the ground, her blade locked with the captain's as she flew down in the air.

Hitsugaya slashed his blade horizontally once more, this time trapping Halibel between the ground and the dragon. All Hitsugaya had to do was watch as the Tercera plummeted to the ground, though what he expected to happen did not, in fact, occur.

Halibel batted the ice dragon away in time to allow herself to land on her feet, though the ground below her shattered once she had landed. The captain immediately took note that she looked upset, but she disappeared before he even had time to know that was not a good thing.

Faster than he thought, the blonde used sonido to appear directly above Hitsugaya in the air before delivering a powerful strike directly at his back. The captain turned and blocked the strike but now it was his turn to be sent flying into the earth below, only he, unlike his opponent, did not land with grace.

The white-haired prodigy found himself lying in a hole that was created by his landing, but he hadn't time to register the soreness in his body before he had to react again. The Espada had her sword pointed at him and flying down towards the hole he was currently laying it.

"Hado Number 33, Sokatsui!" Hitsugaya roared, sending a blast of energy directly at the arrancar that was currently trying to dive-bomb him.

"Pathetic." Halibel stated, simply stopping and outstretching her hand to block the attack.

The blast of spiritual energy found itself unable to pass through Halibel's hand and soon dissipated, but when Halibel returned her vision to the hole the captain had previously been in, she widened her eyes in shock.

"You let your guard down." Hitsugaya stated from above the arrancar, immediately causing her to realize what had happened.

Halibel quickly turned to block the subsequent strike before using sonido to appear across form the captain, hovering in the air and appearing to be sizing him up.

"Your fast arrancar, but your far from perfect in your fighting style." Hitsugaya stated before launching a flurry of ice dragons at his opponent.

Halibel gracefully sidestepped the dragon either by a simply movement of her body or via sonido, but she eventually came to meet the zanpakuto of the captain with her own.

The two began to exchange a series of blows, each parrying, until the point that Hitsugaya thought he had the upper hand. He then opted to deliver a brief kick to the flat end of the arrancar's sword, making her lose balance and giving himself a brief opening.

Halibel, albeit barely, blocked the strike and countered with a slash of her sword that held enough force to send Hitsugaya flying backwards, though he quickly regained his footing.

'_This will perhaps be a longer battle then I thought…_' Halibel mused, glaring slightly at the white-haired captain.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division Barracks, Rangiku vs. Halibel's Fraccion **_

"I feel the need to offer you the chance to surrender now." Rangiku stated as the group came to a stop.

"Ha! As if we'd surrender to you." Apacci snorted.

"Sorry honey, but we've got our orders and we certainly didn't come here to surrender." Mia Rose added.

"Then why did you come?" Rangiku asked confusedly.

"We came to…" Apacci said before Mila Rose slapped a hand over her mouth.

Apacci, almost immediately, ripped the hand off of her face and began to growl at her fellow fraccion.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" Apacci exclaimed, obviously not happy.

"You were going to tell her why we were here." Mila Rose replied.

"No I wasn't! How could you think I would be that stupid?!" Apacci roared.

"Well…" Mila Rose trailed off, making Apacci's growl more audible.

"Must you two be so immature?" Sung-Sun chided, bringing her sleeve up to cover her hand.

"Shut up Sung-Sun!" Apacci and Mila Rose shouted simultaneously, though their bickering was interrupted by the sound of laughter, courtesy of their opponent. The three immediately looked over to see the strawberry-blond Soul Reaper appearing to be hightly amused.

"You know the way you three get along, I may not even have to fight you." Rangiku joked.

"Shut up blonde!" Apacci shouted.

"Are we going to fight or what?" Rangiku asked, drawing her sword and pointing it at the three arrancar.

"You seem so quick to lose, any reason why?" Sung-Sun questioned.

"First of all, I am not going to lose, and second of all, I don't really have time to waste." Rangiku replied in a serious tone.

"That's it!" Apacci exclaimed before jumping at their opponent.

She withdrew the two collars around her wrist, revealing them to be her zanpakuto.

Rangiku positioned her own zanpakuto and effectively countered the haphazard strike with a simple motion of her blade, though she quickly became aware of the fact that the monochromatic arrancar had not been the only one to attack.

From her rear, the olive-harired arrancar attacked showing herself to wield a sai-like zanpakuto, which was currently thrusting towards her back.

Rangiku quickly used flash step to gain a high ground advantage, only to be met with the cold steel of the third arrancar's blade, which effectively put her on the defensive once again.

"Growl, Heinako!" Rangiku exclaimed, sending the ashes of her Shikai around her opponent in order to do some form of damage.

"That won't work!" Apacci exclaimed after using sonido to appear above Rangiku, effectively forcing her to withdraw her ashes from her current attack in order to defend from Apacci's strike.

She then quickly tried to withdraw the ashes in favor of her zanpakuto, but instead of countering as she had wanted to, she blocked a strike that came from Mila Rose, who was able to move freely since Rangiku had been forced to pull back her ashes.

A moment later, she found herself being forced to block multiple strikes from both of her opponents, herself barely even being able to keep up.

'_Where is the other one?_' Rangiku wondered, though her answer came a moment later.

A fair distance behind her, the light began to flash a dark pink color, which could only mean one thing.

"Cero." Sun-Sun uttered, firing off the doom blast directly at the strawberry-blond lieutenant.

Though the attack was strong, it had the effect of forcing the other two arrancar to cease their attacks in favor of getting out of the way, which allowed Rangiku to gather herself in time to make some sort of plan.

The cero detonated a second later, making the area of impact completely unable to be seen, but it was apparent that the attack had connected with something.

"To easy." Apacci said in triumph.

"What are you so proud of? It was my attack that defeated her." Sung-Sun stated.

"Oh please, any one of us could have beaten her with a cero." Apacci scoffed, though whatever argument they were about to have was interrupted by what happened next.

Ashes began to surge from the cloud of smoke, making a b-line for Apacci, who looked unimpressed.

"Please, you're going to have to do better than that." Apacci exclaimed before sending a crimson bala at the smoke, causing it to scatter around her and seemingly deflecting the attack.

The scattered ashes began to move around Apacci, concentrating behind her, though not for the purposes of directly harming her. Instead, the ashes once again became the zanpakuto of Rangiku, who had appeared behind Apacci in order to take advantage of her poor judgment.

Rangiku delivered a swift horizontal strike, though unfortunately the dark-skinned arrancar intervened and blocked the attack.

"You let your guard down." Sung-Sun chided from behind the lieutenant.

For a brief moment of time, Rangiku left herself exposed in order to mount the surprise attack, which Sung-Sun capitalized on by appearing behind her via sonido before delivering a curt slash across her back, drawing first blood in the fight.

Still recovering from the abrupt counter offensive, Rangiku used flash step in order to appear on the ground, breathing more quickly than normal and making an attempt to reassess the situation.

'_Damn… even when I get the jump on one of them the other two are still ready to fight._' Rangiku thought, sweating slightly as she stared up at the three arrancar.

"So you beat her, huh?" Apacci mocked, turning towards Sung-Sun.

"At least I wasn't foolish enough to nearly be cut by her zanpakuto." Sung-Sun retorted, eliciting an audible growl from Apacci.

"You're welcome, by the way." Mila Rose butted in.

"Like I needed your help!" Apacci exclaimed.

'_This is good… their arguing gives me some time to think._' Rangiku thought, allowing herself an inward sigh of momentary relief.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division Barracks (Byakuya vs. Grimmjow)**_

"When will you realize that resisting your defeat is futile in the long run?" Byakuya asked in an emotionless tone as he parried another of Grimmjow's strikes.

"Hehehe, I guess as soon as you realize you can't win!" Grimmjow replied before taking the speeds of his attacks up a notch.

Byakuya blocked each of the strikes with relative ease, though he did find it difficult to find an opening to mount a counter offensive if this pattern were to continue.

Therefore, Byakuya used flash step to appear behind the arrancar before delivering a swift slash across the back of the Octava, only for his blade to be blocked by that of Grimmjow's, and thus the pattern continued.

The stoic captain had an idea of how he could land a hit without using his Shikai, and thus allowed an opening for the arrancar to become evident.

"Got ya!" Grimmjow exclaimed, slashing where the opening was present. His eyes widened slightly when, instead of tearing through flesh, he simply tore through the fabric of the captain's scarf.

'_What the hell?_' Grimmjow thought before a hand was placed on his back.

"Rikujokuro." Byakuya uttered, trapping Grimmjow within the powerful spell. He immediately used flash step to appear in front of the blue-haired Espada, eyeing him emotionlessly and seeing the confusion in his eyes.

"What the hell is this?" Grimmjow exclaimed, slightly fidgeting in order to see how difficult it would be for him to break free of the kido.

"Hado Number 73, Soren Sokatsui." Byakuya uttered, outstretching his palm and sending a powerful attack raging towards Grimmjow.

The attack packed a hell of a punch, but Grimmjow was able to break free of the Bakudo spell and use sonido in time to escape into the air, though when he brought his eyes down to the ground he could no longer see the captain.

He turned around, immediately sensing that his opponent had appeared in above him. His blade blocked the oncoming strike but he soon realized that this had been another setup.

Byakuya was holding his zanpakuto with one had as he continued to apply pressure to Grimmjow's sword while his other hand was placed in front of his sword and currently had an outstretched index finger pointed directly at Grimmjow's shoulder.

"Byakuri." Byakuya cast, sending the blast of kido directly through Grimmjow's shoulder.

The attack had the added effect of sending Grimmjow flying into the ground at a faster pace than both he and Byakuya had been, which allowed Byakuya to regain his footing in the air, though that was short lived.

Contrary to what Byakuya had expected after having torn a hole through the arrancar's shoulder, Grimmjow's grin widened and the arm that had been damaged was outstretched with a ball of crimson energy forming in its palm.

"Cero!" Grimmjow roared, firing off a massive wave of spiritual energy that eclipsed not only Byakuya, but a vast amount of the sky air around him.

Grimmjow knew that hadn't hit the captain but he could sense that he was on the move, therefore stood in place and began to scan the area.

A moment later, his opponent appeared across from him, unharmed and eyeing him so as to determine his next course of action. An abrupt surge of spiritual energy cut off their fight, making Byakuya become inwardly worried, and that was when he sensed it.

'_Renji…_' Byakuya thought, having been too concerned with his own fight to recall that his lieutenant was also in combat.

"Tell me arrancar, are the others that came here Espada as well?" Byakuya asked, hiding his genuine concern that this was a fact.

"Worried for the pineapple head?" Grimmjow taunted, making Byakuya scowl.

"It doesn't do you any good to know, but yes, the others here are also member of the Espada, and the one your friend is fighting is the Septima." Grimmjow said, hoping for any kind of reaction that would make this fight more entertaining.

Byakuya's eyes widened noticeably for a moment due to one single though popping into his head.

'_This arrancar is indeed powerful, perhaps not as strong as me, but he is easily stronger than any of the lieutenant's by a sizeable margin. If Renji's opponent is stronger than him, I will need to intervene._' Byakuya thought, realizing that this would likely be the case if he continued to hold back in this fight.

"It would seem that my subordinate will need my assistance, therefore, I cannot allow this fight to continue for much longer." Byakuya stated before placing his zanpakuto in a way so that it was vertically outstretched in front of him. Grimmjow simply smirked, knowing full well that he had gotten the captain to take things seriously.

"Scatter…"

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division Barracks (Renji vs. Nnoitora) **_

"That all you got, Soul Reaper?" Nnoitora taunted, resting his large ranged weapon on his right shoulder as he stared at his opponent.

Renji, to his credit, wasn't dead yet, but he hadn't been able to put up much of a fight thus far.

He hadn't used his Shikai, or even his Bankai, but then again, he thought he didn't need to, or at least he hoped.

"Not yet, arrancar." Renji replied before his blade morphed into his Shikai without the need of a release command.

Renji fired the attack at Nnoitora, only for him to grab the tip of the extended blade and pull the red-headed Soul Reaper towards him.

As Renji flew through the air, Nnoitora moved his other hand and prepared to swing his weapon by its chain, making to cut his opponent in half before he even had the chance to recover from the abrupt action.

The red-headed lieutenant quickly dropped his sword, realizing that if he continued on his current path, he would be cut in half. He then used flash step to appear in the air above his opponent, his right hand outstretched and his left arm supporting his right. Within the palm of his hand, a small red orb was forming while he flew down through the sky.

"Shakkaho!" Renji shouted, firing off a series of the fireball-like attack at the arrancar.

The end result was what he intended to happen. His opponent had dropped Renji's sword and used his crescent-moon shaped weapon to hit the attacks away, appearing as if he was using a baseball bat.

This, however, allowed Renji the opportunity to use flash step and quickly get his sword before vanishing via flash step once more, this time appearing behind the arrancar with his left hand outstretched.

"Shakkaho!" Renji exclaimed, sending five balls of spiritual energy at his opponent in an attempt to set himself up for a better position.

The attacks landed, but did nothing, much to Renji's surprise, though he didn't need to do damage with that particular set of attacks.

Using what he believed was a momentary positional advantage, he swiped the extended Zabimaru at the side of the arrancar, almost certain that it would be a direct hit.

"Pathetic." Nnotiora said, almost disappointedly, as he simply stood in place, allowing the blade to hit him.

'_What?!_' Renji thought out of shock, unable to understand how his attack simply created sparks on his opponent's skin. He wasn't one to lose focus in a battle, and therefore withdrew his sword quickly, preparing for a counterattack.

"You know I expected a little better." Nnotiora stated, turning to face the lieutenant once he had come to a halt.

"I mean you may look like a fruit, but I expected you to put up a better fight than one." Nnoitora taunted.

Had Renji not been so surprised, he likely would have responded, but to think that this arrancar was capable of simply standing still as he hit him with a flurry of attacks, needless to say, it rattled him slightly.

"No more talk, eh Soul Reaper?" Nnoitora asked rhetorically, not succeeding in breaking Renji out of his slight daze.

"Well here… let me show you how a real warrior attacks." Nnotiora stated before outstretching his tongue, a small orb of yellow charging at its tip.

A moment later the cero fired, immediately forcing Renji out of his thoughts, though he still couldn't figure out what to do.

"Renji, get out of the way!" A voice shouted from nearby, prompting Renji to take the advice at the risk of losing the fight and possibly his life.

The cero detonated somewhere behind Renji, hitting nothing of major importance which was lucky considering that a major concern was damages to the barracks.

A moment later, two new arrivals appeared at Renji's sides, one a man with black hair and a '69' tattooed on his cheek, and the other with long blond hair that covered one of his eyes.

"Great, more weaklings to kill." Nnoitora grumbled, seeing the lieutenant badges on the Soul Reaper's respective arms.

"Izuru, Shuhui, what are you doing here?" Renji asked confusedly.

"We sensed you might need some help and there are no arrancar near our barracks." Izuru replied before he and Shuhui took out their swords and entered a combat stance.

"Get ready arrancar, no one blows up our home and gets away with it." Shuhui stated, prompting Nnoitora to laugh uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Izuru questioned, not showing any outward emotion.

"Oh… it's just funny that you think you can beat me." Nnoitora replied before dropping his weapon and holding up his right hand. A quiet gasp came from each of the Soul Reapers, all of whom hadn't he slightest idea of what they were about to go up against.

"Names Nnoitora Gilga, Septima Espada." Nnoitora stated before grabbing his weapon and bull rushing the Soul Reapers.

_**Soul Society: 8**__**th**__** Division Barracks (Starrk vs. Kyoraku) **_

"Impressive, Espada." Kyoraku complimented as the two exchanged repeated blows.

"Not too bad yourself." Starrk replied lazily.

"But I think we both know that neither of us is taking this seriously. You haven't even drawn your second sword." Starrk stated, making Kyoraku chuckle as he brought his sword across Starrk's torso horizontally, forcing him to block the strike and catch his sword in a momentary stalemate.

"Well… the way I see it, you haven't really given me any motivation to try my best, but if you'd be willing to answer a question, I'd be more than happy to draw my second sword." Kyoraku replied, prompting Starrk to immediately narrow his eyes slightly.

He was well aware of what the captain was doing. He was trying to get Starrk to allow his curiosity to let him slip up and tell him something he really shouldn't have.

'_Still… I am curious as to where my power matches up to this one._' Starrk thought before using sonido to put some distance between the two.

"Before I even consider that offer, I want to know something… where is it your strength lies in terms of the captains. I can sense a few of the fights and some of the captains have used a good amount of spiritual energy. But you, like me, aren't really giving away too much." Starrk stated, making Kyoraku chuckle slightly.

"Ya got me, but it's like you said, I don't like to give a fight all I've got right off the bat. That in mind, I'd say that of all the captains outside Old Man Yama, I guess I'm the strongest." Kyoraku replied, making Starrk raise a brow.

He had assumed that the captain was strong. Everything about him just gave off that feeling that even if he was nonchalant, it was a far cry from how much damage he could do in a fight. But Starrk was much the same way, and that's how he could tell.

"Not like it matters, but I'll warn you that I can't answer any questions about the kid you were talking about." Starrk stated, dropping his fighting stance once Kyoraku did the same.

"I don't really want to know about that, what I want to know about is that Resurrección you Espada have." Kyoraku stated, making Starrk raise a brow out of confusion.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be releasing my sword today. Even if I were, the spiritual energy of my release would end up destroying a good portion of your barracks." Starrk replied.

"That powerful huh?" Kyoraku thought aloud before a moment of silence passed between the two.

"Alright…" Starrk trailed off before readying his combat stance once more.

"Wait a minute." Kyoraku stated before ducking to avoid Starrk's subsequent strike at his head.

"You said one question, so draw your other sword." Starrk explained as the two clashed swords repeatedly.

"Now that just doesn't seem fair to me." Kyoraku lightly whined, making Starrk's eyes narrow.

"If I have to push you that far, I can." Starrk threatened.

"Oh really? Do tell." Kyoraku said jovially, immediately before Starrk disappeared via sonido in order to evade Kyoraku's attack.

Starrk appeared above Kyoraku, aiming to cut his head off with his sword, though Kyoraku simply rose his sword and blocked the strike. Decapitating the captain, however, was not the goal of Starrk's attack, which was evident by the blue cero that was forming on the index finger of his outstretched left hand.

"Cero." Starrk uttered, causing a sizeable eruption of blue to shoot up from the ground below.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ukitake vs Ulquiorra**_

"You're going to have to do better than that if you wish to defeat me." Ulquiorra stated, sounding more like an absolute fact than a taunt, as he and the white-haired captain clashed repeatedly.

"I had thought insulting your opponent was beneath you." Ukitake thought aloud, though he kept up with the pace of their sword bout.

"It was not a taunt but a simple fact… observe." Ulquiorra stated before he picked up the pace of his attacks.

The green-eyed Espada began to easily push the captain back, each strike backing the captain closer and closer to a corner.

'_Fast._' Ukitake thought before formulating a plan so as to keep himself from being backed into a building.

"Bakudo Number 8, Seki." Ukitake uttered, causing a light blue aura to cover his zanpakuto.

Once his sword clashed with Ulquiorra's, the Espada was sent reeling from the kido reinforced zanpakuto, though he quickly recovered and shot right back at the captain.

'_He has excellent battle reflexes as well._' Ukitake noticed upon seeing the arrancar's response to being put on the back foot.

Several things struck him as bothersome in this fight, and all of them made him worry. Firstly, this Espada was more than a match for Uktiake when both of them used nothing but their zanpakuto. Secondly, this Espada possessed the speed and battle reflexes of a higher-tier captain. Both of these things meant that Ukitake did, in fact, have cause to worry considering that there were three stronger than this one.

Abruptly however, the Espada began to launch a flurry of stabs, each of which came at a pace that would easily kill anyone outside of a captain-class Soul Reaper.

'_His ability to fight with his zanpakuto is very impressive._' Ukitake thought as he blocked or parried each of Ulquiorra's rapid stabs. However, the thirteenth division captain hadn't really the time to size his opponent up due to the fact that his opponent wasn't really giving him any time to think, only enough time to react.

"If you will not be the one to deviate from this current path…" Ulquiorra began, breaking the captain out of his mental observations.

"…then allow me." Ulquiorra finished, stabbing Ukitake in the shoulder and subsequently making the captain involuntarily wince at the abrupt shot of pain.

A moment later, the white-haired captain gasped, though it wasn't because he was stabbed. Rather, it was because Ulquiorra currently had his left arm held out, and began to charge an orb of green energy on the tip of the outstretched hand's index finger.

"Cero." Ulquiorra uttered.

The powerful green cero erupted, almost completely decimating the section of the barracks that was behind Ukitake after the attack fired.

Dust and smoke flew in front of the green-eyed Espada, though he clearly didn't look like he had even bothered to think he had hit the captain.

'_There you are._' Ulquiorra thought, bringing his left index finger to bear and pointing it under his right shoulder, aiming directly behind himself.

Ukitake came out of his flash step a second later, only to be greeted by the sight of another green cero aimed directly at where he had appeared. His eyes widened as the wave of green energy raged through the air.

'_I suppose I have no choice.'_ Ukitake thought, seeing only one option to block the attack.

Ulquiorra turned quickly once the sound of a detonating cero could not be herd, only for his eyes to be greeted with the brief image of Ukitake's Shikai.

'_What?_' Ulquiorra thought as he witnessed his attack being absorbed. A moment later the link that connected the captain's blades began to flash, appearing to transfer the energy that was absorbed by the left blade to the other.

His assumption was proven correct when Ukitake outstretched the left blade, timing it so that a wave of green erupted from the blade, shooting at Ulquiorra with even greater speed and power than he had fired off his attack.

Ulquiorra quickly used sonido to dodge the seemingly redirected attack, appearing in the air above his opponent.

'_That attack was undoubtedly the cero I fired just moments ago… but that's not all._' Ulquiorra thought, deciding to test to see if his theory was correct.

The green-eyed Espada quickly used sonido to appear a good distance behind the captain, his left hand outstretched and a green cero once again charged at the tip of his index finger.

Ukitake turned and, much like before, used the attack and fired it back at his opponent, and, like before, Ulquiorra used sonido to quickly get out of the way and appeared in exactly the same location as he had previously.

'_What was the point of that?_' Ukitake wondered, guessing that the arrancar had a reason for repeating himself.

"Your zanpakuto has the ability to absorb energy based attacks of all magnitudes, but that's not all. You are also capable of firing a modified version of the absorbed attack back at your opponent, am I correct in my assumption?" Ulquiorra said, prompting Ukitake to sweat slightly.

"That's amazing. You understood that after only two attacks?" Ukitake exclaimed, sounding slightly impressed.

'_Damn… I was hoping he wouldn't figure that out so quickly._' Ukitake thought, though it seemed to matter very little at this point.

"Though your zanpakuto possesses an ability that makes it quite powerful, it is useless under current circumstances." Ulquiorra stated, making Ukitake's eyes widen slightly.

He had known why it would be ill-advised to use the ability, but to hear that the Espada seemed to think so made him worry, especially if he were to guess the correct reason.

"How so?" Ukitake asked, wanting to hear his fears confirmed.

"Simply look around you." Ulquiorra replied, making Ukitake inwardly grimace.

The two areas that he had redirected the attacks towards were nothing more than piles of rubble, which was something the captain clearly didn't want to have happen. He cringed noticeably, unable to counter the fact that he had, indeed, destroyed a sizeable section of a building with each respective attack.

The white-haired captain's reaction did not go unnoticed by Ulquiorra, who began to form a plan to dispatch of the captain as quickly as he could.

"Unless you desire to destroy the entirety of your barracks, you cannot keep redirecting my cero." Ulquiorra continued, landing on the ground before pointing his left hand towards Ukitake, believing that he had successfully goaded him into a trap.

"If you believe my only option is firing back at you, you're wrong." Ukitake stated, holding up his swords whilst Ulquiorra charged another green cero on his left index finger.

'_Just as I suspected._' Ulquiorra thought, now completely confident that his next move would work.

The cero fired, as strong if not stronger than the previous three, tearing though the ground and unrelenting in its path. Like before, Ukitake absorbed the attack, but this time opted to point the opposite sword into the air.

A wave of spiritual energy, even faster than the cero Ulquiorra had fired, shot into the air, though that was exactly what the green-eyed Espada had wanted.

Ulquiorra used sonido to capitalize on the fact that Ukitake was redirecting his attack, and only a moment after he appeared in front of his opponent, did the captain realize his mistake. He had opted to leave himself wide open to a direct attack while he was redirecting the cero, which hadn't been a problem previously due to the fact that his opponent had been forced to dodge instead of counterattacking.

Immediately after the attack was about to finish discharging from the captain's Shikai, Ulquiorra's blade slashed at his torso, leaving a cut straight across his abdomen.

Ukitake used flash step as quickly as he could in order to get a good distance away from his opponent, clearly focused on his next move.

"Too predictable." Ulquiorra stated.

"Do not think me to be defeated so easily, arrancar." Ukitake replied with conviction.

"I did not say that I had defeated you, only a fool celebrates a victory before it actually occurs." Ulquiorra stated before raising his blade to his opponent once more.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd **__**Division's Barracks, Soifon vs Wonderweiss **_

'_What the hell is this thing made of?_' Soifon wondered, having just seen her kicks, punches and stabs fly harmlessly off of the child-like arrancar since their fight had begun.

'_Perhaps it is time I stepped it up a notch…_' Soifon mused before using flash step to appear on the roof of a nearby building, staring down at Wonderweiss like a hawk.

"Sting All Enemies to Death, Suzumeibachi." Sofion uttered, summoning the stinger-like form of the Shikai.

"Ooooooooooooooh…" Wonderweiss moaned out, staring innocently at the new form of the captain's zanpakuto. He looked so clueless that Soifon almost felt bad that she was about to kill him, but almost wasn't good enough.

Soifon used flash step to appear behind Wonderweiss before stabbing the arrancar in the back. Though no wound was seen, the characteristic marking of her Shikai stained the arrancar's back, something that seemed to make Wonderweiss very, very upset.

He could feel the hostile intent from the marking, sensing that it was dangerous, so, when Soifon brought her zanpakuo in for a second stab, Wonderweiss grabbed her hand, something that startled her.

'_If he's fast enough to see my hand, why not attack?_' Soifon wondered, confused as to why her opponent remained passive.

The raven-haired captain used flash step to put some distance between herself and her opponent before drawing on her speed and using flash step to create a series of afterimages around Wonderweiss.

All of the images surrounded him, and before he knew it, several black markings appeared around his body, though he was smart enough to not allow the markings to be pegged again.

Felling as if she had an advantage with so many markings tethered to her opponent, Soifon went in for the killing blow, still using the afterimages to hide her movements.

To her surprise, the arracnar once again caught her hand, though this time it was with more force.

"Oooooooooooh!" Wonderweiss moaned out, encasing his body with an aura of light purple spiritual energy. Before Soifon's very eyes, the markings seemed to disappear, fading off of his body as if nothing had ever happened.

"What?" Soifon exclaimed, now in a state of momentary shock.

Wonderweiss took the opportunity to throw his opponent into a nearby building, having sensed that she was shocked. Soifon, however, easily latched her feet onto the building and used the new surface to lunge at Wonderweiss, her zanpakuto pointed directly at him.

The purple-eyed arrancar used sonido to appear on the top of a nearby building, this time being the one to eye Soifon, though no hostile intent seemed to come from him.

Soifon used flash step to make an attempt to attack the her opponent, but when she got to the spot her opponent was, he had used sonido to escape to the roof of another of the buildings.

This pattern repeated itself, with Wonderweiss beginning to laugh, though it didn't seem like a taunt or an insult, he appeared to be enjoying what was occurring.

The squad two captain, on the other hand, absolutely despised what was going on and tried her best to pick up the pace, each time getting closer and closer to catching the arracnar.

At one point, Soifon caught her opponent, using a large amount of her strength in an attempt to slash across his neck. She, however, only managed to graze his cheek, though blood still came out of the cut.

"Ooooooh?" Wonderweiss moaned out of confusion, touching at the side of his cheeks to feel what was dripping down his face. When he brought his hands down so he could look at the substance, the red color seemed to confuse him. It was as if this was the first time he had even been cut.

'_What is it doing?_' Soifon wondered, curious as to why her opponent reacted this way.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Wonderwiess exclaimed in an annoyed tone, turning to face the, now startled, squad two captain. He disappeared via sonido, only to reappear directly in front of the captain, his fist cocked back and his intent quite clear.

Wonderwiess's fist connected with the building's roof, decimating a good portion of it with just a single punch.

Soifon took the opportunity to appear above her opponent in an attempt to deliver a counterattack of some kind. Unfortunately for Soifon, Wonderweiss used sonido once more in order to get above his opponent, only this time his month hung open and a ball of purple energy began to form at its center.

The purple doom blast fired, destroying what was left of the section of the building the two were hovering over.

When the dust settled, Wonderweiss could only see the white haori Soifon had worn, only it now had a huge hole in its center. He, however, knew that his opponent was still alive, and turned to face the opposite section of buildings to see that his opponent now stood wearing a black stealth force uniform.

'_Damn… this one is strong even if he doesn't look it. In addition to that, he was somehow able to negate the effects of Suzumeibachi. This will take more effort than I thought_.' Soifon mused, taking note of what she had observed thus far.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs Kenpachi **_

"That all you got Espada? Cuz if it is, Aizen's going to need a replacement!" Kenpachi roared, clashing blades repeatedly with his opponent, who hadn't really gotten on the offensive as of yet.

'_Just wait a little longer Kenpachi, and then you'll get one hell of a fight._' Ichigo thought before using sonido to appear a good distance away from his opponent.

"**If you think that's all I've got, you're going to be very disappointed.**" Ichigo replied before pointing his blade at Kenpachi.

"I'm never disappointed when I fight a strong opponent. I'd have thought you'd know that if you read up on me." Kenpachi said, grinning as he charged the arrancar once more.

This time, however, Ichigo outstretched his left hand, catching Kenpachi's zanpakuto before using his grip to toss the captain into the side of a nearby building.

From within the hole, Ichigo could tell Kenpachi's grin had doubled in size, even if he could only see his form due to the dust.

"That's what I'm talkin about, that's the stuff I want to see." Kenpachi stated, appearing to be happy as opposed to annoyed at what had just happened.

"What rank are you anyway?" Kenpachi asked, wondering if this was in fact the strongest arrancar here.

"**Again, you don't need to know.**" Ichigo replied, making Kenpachi chuckle.

"Oh but I do… ya see, if you're not the strongest then I shouldn't be wasting my time here." Kenpachi stated.

"**I still won't answer your question, but if you're worried about me not being strong enough to entertain you, don't be.**" Ichigo replied.

"Prove it." Kenpachi practically demanded.

"**Alright…**" Ichigo said before lunging at Kenpachi with his sword at his side.

The subsequent attack was blocked by Kenpachi's sword, but only for the moment of initial contact. Upon Ichigo's slash coming full circle, Kenpachi found himself flying through the opposite side of the building, creating a second hole in the structure.

Ichigo just simply walked away, giving his opponent time to collect himself before they continued to fight.

'_If he can do that with his zanpakuto… then I have no doubt that this will be a fun fight._' Kenpachi reasoned, getting up and quickly dusting himself off.

"Now that I know you can actually fight…" Kenpachi began, walking through the two holes that were caused by his being launched through the building.

"I'd like to get this thing started." Kenpachi said, his grin returning in full force.

"**Fine by me.**" Ichigo replied, a grin of his own etched behind the mask that covered his mouth and cheeks.

**A/N Well that's the chapter, pretty damn long, but I hope it was good all the same. **

**Explanations**:

**Starrk's Opinion**: Starrk still owes Aizen a lot, so he isn't in a position where he would willingly go against him. That said, he wouldn't fight Ichigo unless he absolutely had to do so.

**The Vizards and the rest staying behind**: They will join the fight, but not for until mid-late next chapter.

**Lack of Ichigo vs Kenpachi**: That trend will continue until about the middle of next chapter so that I can time it with other events, but you will understand when we get there. I promise thought, it'll be a good fight.

**Ichigo's attack**: People seem interested as to what it is, and I will say that it is a type of cero, it is of my own creation, and its name and why it is so strong will be revealed within three or so chapters. I may as well say that Ichigo doesn't know why it's so strong, but that won't stop me from telling you why it is, and if what I just said confused you, it will be explained when I tell you what the attack is.

**How Much I Write**: Someone said this in a review and I would like to thank you for the compliment **Fireo770**. To be honest, I just set aside at least one hour a day to write, most of the time my schedule easily accommodates it, and to be honest I just enjoy doing it. Some days are less inspirational than others, but when I just don't feel like it, it helps to watch an AMV or an brief clip of the show I like in order to get motivated. I will try to keep up the pace and try not to let you guys down!

**General Thanks**: It's been a little less than three months since I started writing this story. Since then, I have written over 200,000 words, over thirty chapters, and have gotten over 300 favorites and follows, as well as near 82,000 page views in total. I would just like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, followed, or even just clicked the page to check out the story. It means a lot that people seem to like this story, and I will do my best to make it even better.

**Reviews**:

**Kami No Uzumaki**: Yes, indeed he does. Yoruichi won't see Ichigo for some time, meaning not until about two or so chapters, the majority of the in-between time will be fight scenes and stuff. No, things won't go according to plan, at least, not Ichigo's plan. Aizen's plan is a whole different story because I still haven't revealed what he asked Ichigo to do, but I will within the next three or so chapters. Thanks for the compliments! Also, the attack Ichigo used was a type of cero, it is of my own creation and I will elaborate on what its name is, why it's so strong, and all that when it is revealed. Aizen surviving… that may be the absolute one thing I can't say, be that because he really does die or because he lives. As for the Spirit King, personally I think he is an idiot. I mean, what kind of king rules from another dimension and lets idiots like C46 rule? Doesn't make sense…

**Mexican ninja1996**: He will have some explaining to do, and that will be what happens after he gets back… almost immediately.

**Kiwifan7**: Glad to hear it, also yeah, you would be correct in that he most likely won't be in the good graces of Nel, Halibel, Risha, or Yoruichi when they find out… but more so Yoruichi since she obviously has more of a reason to be upset with him than anyone else.

**sami217**: Thanks! Also, you won't have to wait too, too long, hopefully within a week and a half given my update schedule. It won't finish really fast. Kenpachi is a monster of spiritual energy and he killed Nnoitora pretty easily when they fought then he and Byakuya killed Yammy pretty easily, so I can't really say Ichigo will just go and destroy him. I think you know how she will react… and yes, she is pissed, and I will!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks! The comedy was my intent.

**Ryden Purrson**: Yup, its several chapters each will likely be about 10k words and most, if not all of it, will be a mix of action and seriousness.

**Racesa36**: The reason I did, was because that is just Risha's character in general. Plus, "Zangetsu" won't be making another appearance in this story, he _might_ ;) in the sequel, but not in this one. Also, Ichigo ends up with four women I at the end of this story and possibly more in the sequel if backed by popular demand. Those four will be Halibel, Nel, Risha, and Yoruichi.

**FinalDemon**: xD

**darkmachines**: Yes, some of the arrancar, if not all of them, will reveal their numbers. Thanks, I will!

**IchiFell**: Glad to hear it! Also, the grammar thing, that's honestly just me only proofreading the chapter once before posting. I will likely do more than once from here on out, but the grammar itself improves as the story gets better and better. Also, thanks, for my first story, I am glad how this turned out and I will do more in the future.

**fanfictionwriter809**: Happy to provide the entertainment!

**LonelyHollow117**: Thanks! You also don't have to review the older chapters, when I started writing I thought reviews/favorites would be nice but as long as people read and like it, I would consider the story a success.

**Kuroi Rin**: Yes… yes it is. It is also the most destructive attack he is capable of firing at the moment. The girls will come to fight one another/fight Ichigo within the next few chapters, and a general thanks!

**Akuma-Heika**: I assume that you had this review set aside for another story, so I don't know how to respond. Now I will take the time to respond to your previous reviews. Before I start, I will say that, in general, I will go back and fix the mistakes and essentially pretty up the story when it is finished and I have the time, some of them may or may not already be corrected, I do randomly go back and fix a few things. Some of your questions were likely answered in my explanations or **A/N**'s from previous chapters, so what I respond to is what I believe has not already been answered. First up, battle survivors to report Patros' death… Aizen sent him there, therefore knew about it and likely had someone report what had happened, simple enough, but I felt it didn't need to be stated. The suggestion that was referred to as his fullbring focus was the watch, I thought it was creative, but didn't really work all things considered. In regards to the Yoruichi thing you wrote in your chapter 15 review, I disagree that Yoruichi would have met someone during her exile in that, during the 110 years of her exile, she would not have met anyone… as in, literally anyone due to her not being able to consort with Soul Reapers for obvious reasons. The only people available would be Urahara and Tessai, one of whom is so unlikely it's not even funny, and the other of whom is more of a brother than a love interest. Also warring states in Japan would NOT be a better description of the Soul Societies nobility for two distinctive reasons. One, the Soul Society has a king, enough said, and the Soul Society also has noble clans that rule over politics while the grand army doesn't answer to the nobility, which is would in the case of the warring Japanese states. In regards to your chapter 17 review. The Getsuga that charges within the sword is the color of the Getsuga Tenshou that the individual fires. During his inner battle, the Getsuga Tenshou of Ichigo's inner hollow is white laced with red as opposed to black, therefore, the charges sword would be white laced with red for the hollow while Ichigo's would be black. For your chapter 19 review, his hollow isn't dead, also a general flaw in your logic is that you assume that the Hogyoku has bonded with a master and is fully awakened, outside of the fusion state, the Hogyoku clearly possessed limited abilities. Also, the reason Zangetsu is the name of his release is because his hollow was originally his zanpakuto, therefore he was already sort-of an arrancar to begin with. The Espada not releasing in Las Noches, I assume that Nel's release packed more of a punch before she got her head cracked open, so that's why I changed the rules of Las Noches. The Menos Forest is actually where hollows are born. They don't live in the desert until they become adjuchas, so I am confused as to why you corrected something that was already correct. Also, Vasto Lordes are _NOT _equel to middle-tier captains, I don't even know how you could justify that. For example, the hammer-head hollow beat Halibel and her three fraccion when they were still a Vasto Lorde and three adjuchas. Aizen then killed that arrancar in one second without any effort whatsoever. Even if Aizen is strong, you need to transfer that to being able to kill Halibel and her fraccion, before they became arrancar, without even batting an eyelash. That's all I got…

**hornet07**: He won't, I was referring to keeping it hidden from everyone else. Also, I fixed the mistake and I thank you for pointing it out!

**Arawn D Draven**: Thanks, and he will be in trouble as soon as they reenter Las Noches.

**The Night Hunter**: Thanks, also you won't need to wait too long, though I am sorry about the delaying of Kenpachi vs Ichigo, has to be done given how I want the next few chapters to work out. Also, good luck on your exams, read that you have them coming up in your story's AN's

**Shattered Faith**: Glad to hear you enjoy the story! Yes, it is. Thanks, since I am not going to have "Zangetsu" in this story, I had to have that line in here somewhere, and Risha's personality and character simply fit the best for that line. It is destructive as all hell, and it is ridiculously awesome. Urahara does, and he most likely will be able to put a few pieces together quite soon. When Aizen used the opened a Garganta within the Sereitei, the barrier was already broken by Ichigo when he entered with his friends, therefore it could be penetrated. It won't be a heartbreaking reunion, I don't do that kind of stuff unless its absolutely necessary, and in this case it is not. I also kind of like Rukia and Renji together, but it really depends on what people want to see. The interaction will come shortly, and yes, both Halibel and Yoruichi will butt heads.

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks, now you get to see, well, most of those things.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Kenpachi in going to be his opponent!

**Digitize27**: Yes, and they will continue to do so.

**Arrankor**: You will see the harem come together shortly, well, within the next seven or eight chapters… I think, depends how long the fighting chapters last before the other fighting chapters, meaning the harem girls over Ichigo, take place.

**Guest(1)**: He won't figure it out, she would be, yes, she could go with Renji, Gin and Rangiku… that's a surprise, as is weather Gin survives ^^, also, no, Nnoitora won't die as an accidental lose.

**BleachFan21**: Glad to hear it!

**That One Anon**: Yeah, Nnoitora isn't being dickish enough, but there is a reason for that… just rest assured that he still hates Nel, most likely has always hated Halibel, and does hate Risha at the moment.

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks! You will have to wait, also I hope that as well xD.

**Fire0770**: You are correct sir! No its not similar to that cero, but it's kind of close… you'll just have to wait and see. Also, yeah it was kind of long, but the beach one was 1 close to 14k words, this one was like only around 10k, but still my usual is at least about 5k words. A general thanks, I have noticed that very few, if any, stories have been written as fast as mine has been xD.

**VicRB**: Thanks! I update twice a week… don't think I will get any faster xD. Though I have been considering doing something like a chapter a day for an entire week, that would be a hell of a challenge for any writer.

**jackjccraig**: LOL, glad to hear you liked it! Really happy to see that you like Risha, when I made her character, I wasn't sure what people would think given that I didn't think people responded too, too well to them in a general sense. Urahara will start to put pieces together, but he won't figure the entire thing out. Ichigo will get his ass kicked by Yoruichi, for more than one reason. Catfight will occur… eventually. Several people have said Rukia and Renji… which I may or may not do, I am thinking of doing an actual pole. Nnoitora will act more like an ass in the future, but his rage has been shelved for the time being. Also, Matsumoto, can't say for more than one reason, but I don't think I will put in Nemu, regardless, Mayuri will get his ass kicked, by who I haven't quite decided. Thanks for wishing me good luck, and I would like to return the favor by saying good luck as well!


	32. Power of the Espada

**A/N As I had promised, here is Chapter 32 and after this we near the middle of the fight chapters, meaning at least two more… I think, then things will shift back to Hueco Mundo and we get to see the aftermath in the Soul Society.**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 32 **

"What rank are you anyway?" Kenpachi asked, wondering if this was in fact the strongest arrancar here.

"**Again, you don't need to know.**" Ichigo replied, making Kenpachi chuckle.

"Oh but I do… ya see, if you're not the strongest then I shouldn't be wasting my time here." Kenpachi stated.

"**I still won't answer your question, but if you're worried about me not being strong enough to entertain you, don't be.**" Ichigo replied.

"Prove it." Kenpachi practically demanded.

"**Alright…**" Ichigo said before lunging at Kenpachi with his sword raised at his side.

The subsequent attack was blocked by Kenpachi's sword, but only for the moment of initial contact. Upon Ichigo's slash coming full circle, Kenpachi found himself flying through the opposite side of the building, creating a second hole in the structure.

Ichigo just simply walked away, giving his opponent time to collect himself before they continued to fight.

'_If he can do that with his zanpakuto… then I have no doubt that this will be a fun fight._' Kenpachi reasoned, getting up and quickly dusting himself off.

"Now that I know you can actually fight…" Kenpachi began, walking through the two holes that were caused by his being launched through the building.

"I'd like to get this thing started." Kenpachi said, his grin returning in full force.

"**Fine by me.**" Ichigo replied, a grin of his own etched behind the mask that covered his mouth and cheeks.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Hitsugaya vs. Halibel **_

"Hado Number 33, Sokatsui!" Hitsugaya roared, sending a blast of energy directly at the arrancar that was currently trying to dive-bomb him.

"Pathetic." Halibel stated, simply stopping and outstretching her hand to block the attack.

The blast of spiritual energy found itself unable to pass through Halibel's hand and soon dissipated, but when Halibel returned her vision to the hole the captain had previously been in, she widened her eyes in shock.

"You let your guard down." Hitsugaya stated from above the arrancar, immediately causing her to realize what had happened.

Halibel quickly turned to block the subsequent strike before using sonido to appear across from the captain, hovering in the air and appearing to be sizing him up.

"Your fast arrancar, but your far from perfect in your fighting style." Hitsugaya stated before launching a flurry of ice dragons at his opponent.

Halibel gracefully sidestepped the dragons, either through a simply movement of her body or via sonido, but she eventually came to meet the zanpakuto of the captain with her own.

The two began to exchange a series of blows, each parrying, until the point that Hitsugaya thought he had the upper hand. He then opted to deliver a swift kick to the flat end of the arrancar's sword, making her lose balance and giving himself a brief opening.

Halibel, albeit barely, blocked the strike and countered with a slash of her sword that held enough force to send Hitsugaya flying backwards, though he quickly regained his footing.

'_This will perhaps be a longer battle then I thought…_' Halibel mused, glaring slightly at the white-haired captain.

"If you insist on forcing my hand…" Halibel stated, bringing her hand towards the zipper of her jacket.

"…then I suppose I will oblige." Halibel finished, unzipping her jacket before lunging at her opponent across the air that separated them.

Hitsugaya countered by firing off another ice dragon directly in front of him in order to gain some semblance of a positional advantage. The dragon, however, passed through the image of Halibel, making Hitsugaya's eyes widen slightly before he turned to block the subsequent strike from the arrancar.

"Don't think I will be defeated so easily, arrancar." Hitsugaya stated, blocking a series of strikes that came from his opponent.

No sooner than he had said these words, Halibel used sonido to appear across from the captain, prompting the two to simply stare at each other to see who would make the next move.

The Espada's zanpakuto began to glow a golden-yellow, signaling that she was about to use some kind of an attack. The output of the energy she put into the blade was clearly strong, and that was cause for worry considering the closest equivalent would have been how Ichigo was capable of using his Getsuga Tenshou to strengthen his blade, a technique that Hitusgaya knew to be quite destructive.

Once more, Halibel charged at Hitsugaya with impressive speeds, barely giving him enough time to react.

Under current circumstances, the captain had a few options, but on impulse he raised his sword up in the air and began to exude his own spiritual energy.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, seeing his only out for blocking the attack.

Luckily for the captain, Halibel's attack came just in time for him to encase himself in a ball of ice, partially blocking the damage of the attack, though not completely. As a result of the force that was applied to him, Hitsugaya was sent flying back into the ground below, though his opponent was far from done.

"Dammit." Hitsugaya spat from within the small crater his landing had created.

"You will need to do better than that." Halibel taunted, raising her sword up and charging it with golden-yellow spiritual energy once more.

"Ola Azul!" Halibel shouted, firing the blade of energy towards the captain, who was still sitting in the crater.

Hitsugaya's response was to quickly collect himself and use flash step to appear across from Halibel in the air, prepared for another fight.

"Ola Azul!" Halibel shouted once more, this time sending a flurry of the attacks at her opponent.

'_Now's my chance._' Hitsugaya thought as he charged the arrancar, dodging each and every of the golden energy-bullets while he flew through the air towards his opponent.

As soon as Hitsugaya came within striking range of his opponent, Halibel blocked the series of attacks with her own zanpakuto, though she became confused as to why her opponent was now smiling.

"Ryusenka." Hitsugaya uttered, bringing his sword across Halibel's body in one powerful stroke. The response of his opponent was to simply block the attack once more, as she had done with all others, which was exactly what he wanted to happen.

'_What?_' Halibel wondered, feeling her blade, along with half of her body, become encased in ice. She quickly used sonido to appear on the ground before the ice had encased her body entirely, glaring at the captain who appeared to be quite content.

"One of the powers of my Bankai is the ability to freeze any object that comes into contact with my blade, I am sorry to inform you that this fight is over." Hitsugaya stated, slowly making his descent to the ground before beginning to walk towards the arrancar.

"Bastard…" Halibel said venomously as the ice fully encased her body, her eyes still glaring daggers at the approaching form of the captain. At the sight of the ice fully enclosing on the Espada, Hitsugaya allowed himself a sigh of pure relief, but he had forgotten about something, or rather, someone.

"If you think this is over…" A feminine voice called out from behind the captain, making his eyes widen in shock.

"…then you are sorely mistaken." Nel stated, punching the captain in the gut the second he turned to face her.

The end result was Hitsugaya flying backwards several yards before outstretching his wings so as to propel him back into sky.

'_Dammit, I completely forgot about that one._' Hitsugaya thought, mentally chastising himself for making such an obvious mistake.

'_I suppose I could just leave her like this… no, I need to stop thinking like that!_' Nel thought before drawing her sword and gracefully slashing the ice prison her comrade was encased in.

Hitsugaya began to sweat at the sight of the blond arrancar being freed so easily. On top of that, she was near perfect health but appeared to be extremely aggravated, which he knew was quite unfortunate for him.

"I suppose I should thank you, Nelliel." Halibel thought aloud, eliciting a nod from the green-haired Sexta.

"Don't mention it, but I think we should end this fight soon, otherwise this might get out of hand." Nel replied, prompting Halibel to nod in agreement.

Both of the ladies used sonido to appear across form Hitsugaya, hovering in the air and eyeing him, one with anger in her eyes, and the other with no emotion in her own.

"I apologize for this, but we don't have time to waste on you anymore." Nel stated, making the captain grit his teeth slightly at the implication that he was simply an inconvenience to the two.

An abrupt spike of spiritual energy from his lieutenant's location brought his eyes off of the two arrancar in front of him and caused a worried expression to temporarily form on his face.

"Are you worried for your subordinate?" Halibel asked, expecting she already knew the answer.

"Don't worry, she won't be killed, no one will be." Nel stated, bringing the attention of the captain back to them.

'_What did she just say?_' Hitsugaya wondered, believing that what the arrancar had said was extremely odd.

"That in mind, we are your opponents, so I suggest you focus on us before you begin to worry about your comrades." Halibel stated, bringing Hitsugaya out of his thoughts.

_**Soul Society: 10th**__** Division's Barracks, Rangiku vs. Halibel's Fraccion **_

"Heinako!" Rangiku exclaimed as Mila Rose charged her, sending the ashes in front of her so as to halt the attack.

Any sense of relief she may have had washed away a second later at the sight of the other two flanking her, one aiming for her back and the other for her arm.

She quickly used flash step to put a good amount of distance between herself and the others, still hovering in the air.

With one quick motion of her hand, she willed the ashes to flank the heterochromatic arrancar, something that her opponent had seen coming a mile away.

"That won't work!" Apacci exclaimed, thrusting her hand backwards and dissipating the cloud of ash with a singular crimson bala.

With determination in her eyes, Apacci flew towards Rangiku, prepared to continue to onslaught that had been occurring so far.

Thinking that she had nothing to worry about, Apacci failed to see the large fireball-like projectile that was flying towards her, and, as a result, her attack was halted due to her being hit by the abrupt attack.

'_Who could have…_' Rangiku wondered before turning her head towards the direction the attack had come from.

"Momo?" Rangiku asked, as if not believing she was seeing properly.

The squad five lieutenant appeared to have her Shikai activated as she walked towards Rangiku, her sword never wavering from an offensive stance.

"Are you alright Rangiku?" Momo questioned, not taking her eyes off of the cloud of smoke that Apacci had been consumed by.

"Yes, thanks for the assist." Rangiku answered.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?" Rangiku inquired, curious as to why the assist had happened in the first place.

"There are no arrancar near my barracks. I checked on several others and saw that Renji was being helped by Izuru and Shuhei, so I decided to help you." Momo explained.

"Be careful, they may not look it, but these three are deadly when they fight together." Rangiku warned, eliciting a nod of understanding from the squad five lieutenant.

"Dammit!" Apacci exclaimed, appearing to have mild burn marks on the side of left side of her neck and uniform.

"You should have been more perceptive." Sung-Sun chided, causing a tick mark to appear on Apacci's forehead.

"Shut up Sung-Sun!" Apacci shouted.

"Don't be upset because you're weak Apacci." Mila Rose taunted, causing Apacci to turn her annoyance towards the dark-skinned fraccion.

"What was that cow girl?" Apacci questioned, starting off the predictable fight that gave their opponents time.

"Rangiku, I think I have an idea of what to do." Momo stated as their opponents argued.

"I'm all ears…"

"Whatever, let's just end this." Apacci stated after several moments of arguing.

"Sounds good to me." Mila Rose stated.

"I would be inclined to agree, though I would remind you of our purpose here." Sung-Sun commented.

Whatever was going to be said afterwards was halted by the sight of several fireballs being fired in the direction the three arrancar were currently situated, successfully hitting Apacci and temporarily causing her to fly backwards, thus taking her out of the fight for a brief period of time.

The series of attacks were followed up by the subsequent sound of flash step being used by both Momo and Rangiku.

Momo had appeared in front of Mila Rose, immediately catching her sword in a brief stalemate. Rangiku had appeared in front of Sung-Sun and had captured her sword in a stalemate, standing in the air back to back with Momo.

The big clincher in the maneuver was the fact that each only had one hand on their respective sword and kept their left hand outstretched towards the arrancar they were currently facing, Rangiku pointing towards Sung-Sun, and Momo pointing the palm of her hand in the direction of Mila Rose.

"Hado Number 33, Sokatsui!" The two Soul Reapers shouted simultaneously.

The end result was as intended. The respective Kido spells seemed to connect with their targets, which prompted both Momo and Rangiku to retreat via flash step in order to observe what kind of advantage they had at the moment.

The three arrancar quickly used sonido to collect themselves, each now appearing mildly injured as opposed to only Apacci being injured from Momo's first attack.

"You should have been more perceptive." Apacci said in a mocking voice, making Sung-Sun growl lightly.

"I would advise that we focus on the more injured of the two so that we may better fight them." Sung-Sun said, eliciting a nod of confirmation from her two comrades.

Before the group could even prepare to charge at Rangiku, both she and Momo had used flash step once more to engage them, immediately putting themselves in an offensive position.

The two began to trade places, rotating positions so as to keep their three opponents on their toes, hoping that they would get an opening soon. They were currently making an attempt to get the three arrrancar as close as was possible to one another, trying to maneuver them so as to better help with taking the three of them down all at once.

"Now." Rangiku exclaimed, seeing that they had an opening.

"Bakudo Number 1, Sai." Momo uttered, trapping all three of the fraccion in invisible bindings.

"Bakudo Number 4, Hainawa." Rangiku uttered, trapping all three of them in a respective rope of spiritual energy.

"Bakudo Number 63, Sojo Sabaku." Momo uttered, reinforcing the Kido spells that bound the three arrancar, respectively.

'_What the hell?'_ The three arrancar thought simultaneously, unable to move as both of their Soul Reaper opponents appeared across from them via flash step.

"Get ready Momo." Rangiku stated, eliciting a nod from her comrade.

"Growl, Heinako!" Rangiku exclaimed, sending a massive cloud of ashes around the three fraccion, all of whom were still imprisoned within the series of Bakudo spells.

"This again?" Apacci thought aloud upon the characteristic ashes surrounding them, though they did nothing in terms of offense.

"Tobiume!" Momo cried out, swinging her zanpakuto horizontally and launching a massive fireball at the three arrancar.

Upon connecting with the ashes, a colossal explosion had ensued, large enough for each of the three arrancar to have substantial injuries if they were in fact still alive.

"You think we got them?" Rangiku questioned after the initial sound of the explosion had subsided.

"No… but at the very least they will be injured." Momo replied, eyeing the large amounts of smoke that had begun to dissipate. Any comfort they had with successfully pulling off that particular maneuver was cut short upon seeing the three arrancar emerge, though they were not the same as prior.

"Thrust, Cierva!"

"Eat your Fill, Liona!"

"Strangle to Death, Anaconda."

The smoke cleared, revealing all three of the arrancar to be in their Resurrección forms, something that caused both Momo and Rangiku to sweat slightly due to the very apparent lack of injuries.

"How can they be unharmed after something like that?" Rangiku exclaimed out of disbelief.

"Their Resurrección must heal their injuries. That is the only logical explanation I can think of… regardless, now the real fight starts, I just regret that we played that card before they released their full power." Momo replied.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division Barracks', Byakuya vs. Grimmjow **_

'_Renji…_' Byakuya thought, having been too concerned with his own fight to recall that his lieutenant was also in combat.

"Tell me arrancar, are the others that came here Espada as well?" Byakuya asked, hiding his genuine concern that this was a fact.

"Worried for the pineapple head?" Grimmjow taunted, making Byakuya scowl.

"It doesn't do you any good to know, but yes, the others here are also member of the Espada, and the one your friend is fighting is the Septima." Grimmjow said, hoping for any kind of reaction that would make this fight more entertaining.

Byakuya's eyes widened noticeably for a moment due to one single though popping into his head.

'_This arrancar is indeed powerful, perhaps not as strong as me, but he is easily stronger than any of the lieutenant's by a sizeable margin. If Renji's opponent is stronger than him, I will need to intervene._' Byakuya thought, realizing that this would likely be the case if he continued to hold back in this fight.

"It would seem that my subordinate will need my assistance, therefore, I cannot allow this fight to continue for much longer." Byakuya stated before placing his zanpakuto in a way so that it was vertically outstretched in front of him. Grimmjow simply smirked, knowing full well that he had gotten the captain to take things seriously.

"Scatter…"

"…Senbonzakura." Byakuya finished, scattering the blade of his zanpakuto in exchange for the tiny pink blades he was characteristically known for using.

'_I assume this is his Shikai._' Grimmjow thought as the tiny flower-like blades approached him. In response to the attack, he decided to raise his fists, charging them with static, crimson spiritual energy.

"Bala." Grimmjow uttered firing off several of the energy bullets at the wave of pink.

To his surprise, the series of bala were absorbed by Byakuya's attack, which was still heading towards him, completely undeterred.

Grimmjow opted to use sonido in order to appear behind his opponent, recalling that his sword had become the petals, leaving him defenseless for the duration of the attack.

"If you believed me to be defenseless…" Byakuya began after Grimmjow had used sonido to appear behind him.

"…then you are wrong." Byakuya finished as the tiny pink blades returned to easily deflect the Espada's strike.

The characteristic sound of sonido could once again be heard, only this time, Grimmjow opted to appear in the air above his opponent, believing that the high ground advantage would give him more time to discover the weakness of Byakuya's attack.

When his eyes landed on Byakuya, he found his zanpakuto to now be in his hand, no longer in its Shikai state.

"Buying time will serve no purpose, arrancar." Byakuya stated coolly before using flash step to appear in front of his opponent, thus continuing with their sword bout.

When he felt he was at an advantage, Byakuya placed his hand on Grimmjow's chest, his right hand firmly gripping the hilt of his own sword so as to keep Grimmjow at bay.

"Rikujokuro." Byakuya uttered, once more sending six golden beams of light crashing into Grimmjow's midsection.

This time, before Grimmjow could even break free of the spell, Byakuya's sword dissipated into his Shikai and began to swarm around his opponent.

The thousands of petals began to inflict wounds all over Grinnjow's body, but he quickly broke free of the spell and shot out of the prison of countless swords, looking around to see where his opponent had been.

Byakuya appeared above Grimmjow with his left hand outstretched and two balls of blue spiritual energy forming in the palm of said hand.

"Hado Number 73, Soren Sokatsui." Byakuya uttered, launching a torrent of energy down at the Espada.

Grimmjow evaded the attack, albeit barely, by using sonido, though he quickly found himself having to dodge the wave of pink petals that were currently gunning for him.

"Cero." Grimmjow uttered, outstretching his left hand and scattering the petals with the subsequent burst of spiritual energy.

As the petals scattered, Byakuya appeared in front of Grimmjow, recalling the tiny blades in favor of his zanpakuto before delivering a flurry of strikes at the Espada, all of which were parried or dodged.

Upon growing tired of the continuous sword fight, both opponents used their respective escape mechanisms and appeared across each other, standing on the ground below.

"I do not have time to waste on you, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." Byakuya stated before placing his sword out vertically, an aura of white spiritual energy lightly covering his body.

"Bankai." Byakuya uttered, dropping his zanpakuto as he did so.

The sword disappeared into the ground, leaving tiny waves of white protruding from its point of impact as it did so. In its place, columns of large swords appeared behind Byakuya, waiting for the final word to be released.

"Senbonzakura, Kageyoshi." Byakuya finished, causing the columns of swords to become large amounts of the pink petal-like swords.

'_A Bankai huh?_' Grimmjow thought, smirking at the prospect of what was to come.

"This fight will be over quickly." Byakuya stated before outstretching his right hand towards his opponent. The massive wave of swords began to rush forwards, devouring everything in its unrelenting path as it headed towards Grimmjow, who only allowed his smirk to grow in response.

Grimmjow used sonido to appear on front of Byakuya in one last attempt to see if he could do damage without releasing.

His left hand was outstretched and a crimson cero was forming in said hand, a sign of what was to come.

Before the ball of energy could even fully form, the petals retreated and formed a barrier in front of Byakuya, whirling around so as to dissipate the energy on contact.

"Cero!" Grimmjow shouted, firing off his attack.

The petals of Byakuya's Bankai absorbed the energy rather easily before surrounding the Espada in a tornado of pink.

"It's over." Byakuya stated before closing the palm of his right hand.

The tornado of petals shot towards Grimmjow, who was standing at its center, something that appeared to end the fight.

When the petals dissipated, however, Grimmjow was still standing at the center of a small crater, breathing heavily and bleeding profusely as a result of the innumerable wounds the tiny blades had inflicted.

"Hehehe… heheherhehe!" Grimmjow cackled, quickly regaining a semblance of composure.

"Funny… if you couldn't kill me with your Bankai before I released, then that should just go to show you how hard it'll be to beat me when I do." Grimmjow stated before placing his hand on the flat end of his blade.

"Grind, Pantera!" Grimmjow roared, running his hand across his blade.

A sizeable explosion of blue spiritual energy erupted from where Grimmjow had been standing, effectively forcing Byakuya to head into the air via flash step.

'_So this is a Resurrección._' Byakuya thought upon seeing what his opponent now appeared to look like.

On Grimmjow's forearms, two intricate blades could be seen, working as a replacement for his zanpakuto. His hair grew in length, and his wounds had been healed, which was something that Byakuya had expected to happen.

"Now's when the real fight starts!" Grimmjow shouted, jumping into the air at the squad six captain.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Renji, Izuru, and Shuhei vs. Nnoitora **_

'_What the hell is this guy made of?_' Shuhei wondered, each of his strikes just sliding down the clothing of the Espada and creating a slight spark.

"In case you haven't figured it out by now…" Nnoitora began, grabbing the zanpakuto of both Shuhei and Izuru.

Upon seeing the arrancar drop his weapon, Renji took the initiative and opted to deliver a powerful slash straight down the right side of Nnoitora's body, though, like previously, the attack just created sparks as it slid down his skin.

"You can't cut me!" Nnotiora shouted before throwing the two lieutenants by their blades into a nearby wall.

Both Shuhei and Izuru quickly recovered by landing on the sides of the wall with their feet before using flash step to get a better look at the situation. Renji, however, was far less fortunate and took a direct kick to the stomach which sent him flying into the opposite wall, unable to do what Izuru and Shuhei had just done and instead crashing right through it.

"Dammit." Shuhei mumbled before looking at Izuru.

"We need to find out a way to cut this guy, and I think the only way to injure him is by giving it everything we've got." Shuhei stated, eliciting a nod of understanding from Izuru, who had a determined look in his eyes.

Even if this opponent was an Espada, they would put up a fight, or die trying.

"First things first, we need to come up with a plan before we go and attack him again… maybe if we give Renji and opening to hit him we might have a chance." Izuru stated.

"What'd you have in mind?" Shuhei asked.

"You know what…" Nnoitora stated, walking over to the injured form of Renji, who was lying inside a hole that his body had created on impact.

"I expected more from you Soul Reaper. Even with all that talk, you're just a disappointment." Nnoitora finished, eliciting an audible growl from Renji, who clearly resented the insult.

"But I suppose you were enough of a warm up… so I've decided that I'll give you the peace of a quick death." Nnoitora mused as he picked Renji up by his collar with his free left hand.

"Hey arrancar, don't be so sure you've won just yet." Izuru stated from across the battlefield, prompting Nnoitora to drop Renji and turn to face the blond-haired lieutenant.

"That so?" Nnotiora asked amusedly, a smirk appearing on his feature, though it didn't last very long upon him noticing something was missing, or rather, someone.

"Hey, where'd that other one go?" Nnoitora questioned though he got his answer a second later in the form of two black, double-sided scythes slashing across his torso.

The abrupt attack was blocked by Nnoitora's weapon, after which, the Espada quickly countered by delivering a slash of his own at Shuhei, effectively causing him to fly backwards in a defensive posture.

However, due to Shuhei's attack, Nnoitora had lost track of the blond-haired lieutenant, something that caused him to release a tired sigh.

"Raise your Head, Wabisuke." Izuru uttered from behind Nnoitora, prompting the arrancar to turn so as to face his opponent.

As fast as he was able, Izuru brought his weapon to bear and launched a series of repeated attacks at the Espada, each of which were blocked, but that was the intent. Strike for strike, Izuru counted off, first one then two then three, and all of a sudden the number of strikes had numbered twenty, and with that his job was done.

'_Why the hell is he smirking?_' Nnoitora wondered before his opponent used flash step to vanish from sight.

"Bankai!" A voice shouted from behind Nnoitora, something that instantly caused him to shift his head.

'_That little weakling achieved Bankai?_' Nnoitora thought out of pure surprise, gazing upon the large snake-like Bankai with tuffs of red fur encircling its neck.

"If you really think that your Bankai will save you, then you're wrong." Nnoitora stated, not being the least bit worried about his current situation.

"As strong as you are, I doubt that you could defeat all of us at full strength without the use of your weapon." Izuru stated, causing Nnoitora to laugh at his words.

"And what makes you think I have any intention of not using my weapon?" Nnoitora asked amusedly.

"I never said you wouldn't, I am saying you can't." Izuru stated a moment before the crescent-moon like weapon in Nnoitora's right hand fell to the ground, his hand still attached to it.

"What the hell?" Nnoitora exclaimed, trying and failing to lift up his weapon.

"The power of my zanpakuto doubles the weight of an object with each strike. Our two weapons met a total of twenty times. I will allow you to do the math." Izuru stated, eliciting an annoyed growl from their opponent.

"You three ready?" Izuru questioned in a hushed tone.

Both Shuhei and Renji nodded in confirmation, giving Izuru the signal to begin their maneuver. He then dropped his sword, and outstretched his right hand, supporting it with his left.

"Hado Number 58, Tenran!" Izuru shouted, launching a sizeable gust of wind at the Espada. The end result of this was for Nnoitora to be thrust into the air, though he only flew a decent distance due to the weight of his weapon still being latched onto him via the chain that filtered into his uniform.

Before the winds even subsided, a rod of blue, white glowing, spiritual energy began to form in Shuhei's hand, a sign that he too was about to cast a spell.

"Bakudo Number 62, Hyapporankan." Shuhei uttered before throwing the rod at the Espada.

The one rod split into dozens upon dozens of smaller rods, the radius of which was more than enough to ensure that Nnoitora was latched into a nearby building, but the onslaught didn't stop there. Izuru currently outstretched his right hand, still supporting it with his left, towards Nnoitora's immobile form on the wall.

"Hado Number 73…" Izuru began, charging his hand with two balls of blue energy.

"Soren Sokatsui!" Izuru shouted, launching a torrent of blue spiritual energy into the wall that Nnoitora was currently tethered to. The ray of blue simply passed over him, not directly harming him, but causing the wall behind him to shatter under the force of the attack.

"That all you got?" Nnoitora asked, his clothes only being barely charred after the attack connected.

The Soul Reaper's reply came in the form of one of Shuhei's scythe's wrapping around his torso. The last thing Nnoitora saw before the attack was the black-haired lieutenant placing the tip of the other scythe on the chain of the scythe that was currently wrapped around his body.

"Hado Number 11, Tsuzuri Raiden." Shuhei uttered, subsequently after which a stream of what appeared to be an electric current traveled down the chain of his Shikai until it connected with his opponent, causing Nnoitora to fall to his knees due to the abrupt shock.

"Now Renji!" Izuru shouted, seeing that this was the best chance they were going to get.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji roared, swinging his zanpakuto towards the once again immobile Espada.

The red energy traveled from the bottom of the hilt to the mouth of the baboon-snake, firing off in one massive ball of red spiritual energy which ripped through the air towards the arrancar.

An explosion could be seen, and it was obvious that the arrancar was hit, which gave them the inking that they were likely at an advantage, but that didn't mean they didn't have to let up.

"Hado Number 33…" Izuru and Shuhei began, aiming the outstretched palms of their right hands at the center of the explosion.

"Sokatusi." Both uttered simultaneously, firing off two of the deadly attack at where they believed their opponent currently was.

A light blue explosion erupted from within the already sizeable cloud of smoke, which was followed by dead silence as the three lieutenants just stared at where they still thought their opponent to be, even though the view was obstructed.

"Is it over?" Renji wondered aloud, dissipating his Bankai and returning his sword to his standard Shikai.

"Looks like it…" Shuhei trailed off after several more seconds of no motion being seen. The clincher was that the smoke and dust that resulted from the repeated attacks was still present, which gave a good inclination that at worse the Espada was wounded.

"He didn't seem so…" Renji began to say before the sound of a weapon being swung brought his attention back to where the explosion had been.

Nnoitora swiped his weapon horizontally in order to get rid of the smoke, something that shocked the three lieutenants beyond belief.

'_How can he even pick up his sword, let alone use it?_' Izuru wondered, sweating slightly as he realized that wasn't his biggest concern. The worst injury that the Espada had was the small burn at the center of his chest, and even that looked like he had received a small scratch.

"How can he be unharmed?" Shuhei exclaimed, sure that all of the attacks had landed.

"I'll admit you managed to get me Soul Reapers, but if you think even for a second that I was going down to that, you're even more stupid than you look." Nnoitora said before his body began to glow with light yellow spiritual energy.

"But since you three decided to go all out… I may as well show you what you're getting into!" Nnoitora said, raising his weapon and gathering more spiritual energy within the center of the crescent-moon.

"Pray, Santa Taresa!" Nnoitora shouted, subsequently after which a resounding boom created by spiritual energy could be heard. The yellow energy had caused a light amount of smoke to come into sight, but when it vanished, their opponent was visible in his most powerful form.

The new appearance of their opponent was unnerving, mostly because the miniscule wounds they had inflicted had vanished, but that thought was met with an even bigger concern.

From the other portion of the barracks, they could feel the spiritual energy of Captain Kuchiki's opponent nearly double, and from the squad ten barracks, they could sense an increase in spiritual energy as well.

"So Soul Reapers, ready to die?" Nnoitora questioned, bringing his weapons to bear.

_**Soul Society: 8**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Kyoraku vs. Starrk **_

"Wait a minute." Kyoraku stated before ducking to avoid Starrk's subsequent strike at his head.

"You said one question, so draw your other sword." Starrk explained as the two clashed swords repeatedly.

"Now that just doesn't seem fair to me." Kyoraku lightly whined, making Starrk's eyes narrow.

"If I have to push you that far, I can." Starrk threatened.

"Oh really? Do tell." Kyoraku said jovially, immediately before Starrk disappeared via sonido in order to evade Kyoraku's attack.

Starrk appeared above Kyoraku, aiming to cut his head off with his sword, though Kyoraku simply raised his sword and blocked the strike. Decapitating the captain, however, was not the goal of Starrk's attack, which was evident by the blue cero that was forming on the index finger of his outstretched left hand.

"Cero." Starrk uttered, causing a sizeable eruption of blue to shoot up from the ground below.

"Taking it a little too seriously, eh Starrk?" Lilynette lightly joked from the sidelines.

"He's fine." Starrk replied as he turned around to face where he knew the captain was about to reappear.

"Impressive." Kyoraku complimented, appearing across form Starrk on the ground.

"Hardly, I missed." Starrk replied lazily.

"Hey now, don't beat yourself up about it. I'd say the fact that you almost got me is an achievement in itself. I'm no slouch when it comes to sword fights, and in terms of speed, we're clearly even." Kyoraku stated, making Starrk release a tired sigh.

"You gonna take out your second zanpakuto or what?" Starrk questioned, debating what he should do when and if the captain said he would not.

"Well you did show me your cero… I guess I'll have to settle for that." Kyoraku replied before vanishing via flash step, only to reappear in front of Starrk with both of his zanpakuto brought to bear.

Starrk dodged the horizontal strike of Kyoraku's long sword and blocked the subsequent stab from his short sword.

'_He's fast with those swords… but I can tell that something's not right._' Starrk thought, observing the hand movements of his opponent during the fight. The way he wielded the swords, it appeared as if his strikes were slightly off, and then a thought popped into his head.

'_He's not using the sword like he's supposed to. The long sword should be used as a distraction so that the short sword can do the real damage, but he's using them in reverse roles. Guess I'll have to make him use the swords properly._' Starrk thought.

He decided to see if his assumption was correct by testing the waters a little. Even if it revealed more about his speed and combat abilities, it was worth it to find out more about this captain.

The Segunda began to use sonido to move around Kyoraku, leaving afterimages with each use of sonido.

Kyoraku slashed with his longsword through several of the images, missing Starrk by a fraction of a second each time he left an afterimage until the point that he lost track of the arrancar. He halted his attacks and opted to simply watch as the Espada continued to dance around him via sonido, waiting for the next attack to occur.

It had occurred to him that his opponent was now trying to get him to use both of his swords if he were serious about going on the offensive, which meant only one thing.

'_So he's figured it out._' Kyoraku thought, observing that his opponent was trying to force him into using his smaller zanpakuto as his primary means of offense, or at least cause him to react in a similar manner.

His thoughts were interrupted by a slash that cut through the bottom of his pink kimono. That strike, however, was followed up a second later by a slash that was aimed for his chest.

The position of Starrk's second attack had forced Kyoraku to rapidly block the strike with his lesser-sword, the reaction speed of which told Starrk that he was correct in thinking that his opponent was still holding back.

Starrk disappeared via sonido before the short sword even had the opportunity to move again, coming to a position across from Kyoraku, who seemed to have an expression, if only for a second, of mild worriedness.

"And here I thought you'd have the courtesy to take this seriously." Starrk thought aloud, prompting Kyoraku to chuckle.

"To be honest, I didn't think you'd catch on to my fighting style so quickly." Kyoraku said honestly.

"It's not that complicated to figure out. You use the long sword to distract the opponent while the short sword is the damage dealer… or at least, that's how you'd fight if you were being serious." Starrk stated matter-of-factly.

"Well if you've figured it out, I guess I can start fighting you seriously." Kyoraku thought aloud.

Almost at the same time, three area's within the confines of the Sereitei experienced a sizeable spike in spiritual energy. The only problem was that it was the spiritual energy of the arrancar, and it had begun to eclipse the spiritual energy of the Soul Reapers they were fighting.

'_That's new._' Kyoraku thought upon sensing the increase in energy. The meaning of the energy could be interpreted two different ways. The first, and more preferable explanation, was that the Soul Reapers had forced their opponents to use their most powerful ability so soon into their respective fights. The other, and far more disheartening, was that the arrancar wanted to end their fights quickly.

'_Kuchiki's alright… but his lieutenant and those fighting with him are in trouble, as are the two lieutenants near squad ten's barracks._' Kyoraku thought. Then his senses reached the 13th division's barracks, and that caused him to become worried.

Ukitake hadn't defeated his opponent yet, and, what's more, he sensed that whoever he was facing had very high spiritual energy. This would normally not be an issue considering that Ukitake was a more than capable fighter, but the fact remained that he had a limit to how much time he could fight before his illness took effect, and that had always been his greatest weakness in battle. On top of that, since he was in the confines of his own barracks, Ukitake likely wouldn't give it his all so he wouldn't damage his own division too heavily, and that was a problem if his opponent was strong as well.

'_Guess I don't really have a choice._' Kyoraku thought, realizing that he would likely be needed to assist the others if Yamamoto wasn't willing to do anything about it.

"You ready to get serious, Espada?" Kyoraku asked, a slight edge making itself audible in his tone.

"Bout damn time." Starrk replied before lunging at his opponent.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ukitake vs Ulquiorra **_

"How long is it that you believe you can continue to fight?" Ulquiorra asked, coming to a stop across from his opponent, though his blade was still raised towards him.

"What do you mean by that?" Ukitake asked in a confused tone.

"If you continue to feign ignorance, so be it." Ulquiorra stated before lunging at the white-haired captain.

The two met blades once more in a collision that seemed to number hundreds of strikes and stabs within only a few moments. Deciding to break the current pattern that had ensued over the past bout between the two, Ulquiorra caught both of Ukitake's blades in a standstill with his own zanpakuto and delivered a high kick to his opponent, aimed for the captain's head.

Ukitake dodged the kick, but he flew backwards due to the sudden action, and that left him without a proper sword stance for a brief period of time.

'_What?_' Ukitake thought out of surprise upon seeing the Espada charge a bright green cero on the tip of his left index finger. The fact that the cero was being aimed at him wasn't a surprise, but the fact that the arrancar had been able to charge and aim the cero so quickly after displacing Ukitake from a ready stance was frightening.

"Cero." Ulquiorra uttered, firing off a massive wave of green energy at the captain.

In response, Ukitake raised his right sword and absorbed the green energy before outstretching the opposite end into the sky so as to avoid destroying his own barracks.

Ulquiorra once again took advantage of the hole Ukitake had left in his deffense and opted to slice him cleanly down his torso. However, this time the captain had seen it coming and blocked Ulquiorra's zanpakuto with his free right blade.

Only a moment after Ukitake had blocked his opponents attack, the energy had finished dispelling from his other blade, and he then brought said blade across Ulquiorra's chest in an attempt to counterattack.

The stoic Espada merely used sonido to vanish and appear above Ukitake, his left hand once again outstretched as if motioning that he was about to use a cero.

The white-haired captain hadn't even given his next action a second thought and raised his right blade up towards Ulquiorra's hand, but he soon realized he had been tricked.

Ulquiorra had an open palm as opposed to an outstretched finger and grabbed the right sword with his outstretched hand before bringing his zanpakuto down on Ukitake like a ton of bricks.

With only the one sword, Ukitake was able to block the strike, but a second later the arrancar threw him by his other sword across the battlefield.

'_Again?_' Ukitake wondered as he landed on his feet, only to be greeted with the sight of Ulquiorra with his left hand extended towards him, and his index finger outstretched.

A wordless bright-green cero rampaged through the ground towards Ukitake at a speed that didn't even give him time to react intelligently. Instead of absorbing the attack, he opted to use flash step to get out of its way and reset their positions so as to better position himself in the current fight.

'_He is certainly fast…_' Ukitake thought, his breathing becoming slightly heavy.

"I will ask again…" Ulquiorra began, not sounding at all winded.

"How long is it that you can keep this up?" Ulquiorra questioned emotionlessly.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd**__** Division's Barracks, Soifon vs. Wonderweiss**_

'_This arrancar is incredibly durable, and the ability of my Shikai doesn't affect him at all…_' Soifon thought, doing her best to analyze her opponent who had proven to be such a nuisance.

'_The one thing I have going for me is speed… his movements may not be readable, but I have more than enough time to react if I follow them closely._' Soifon thought.

'_Perhaps I should try to use my speed in order to finish him._' Soifon thought, a plan now beginning to form in her head.

Wonderweiss just stared at the raven-haired captain with a blank expression on his face, moaning from time to time, but otherwise he appeared to do nothing, and that was exactly what he thought he should be doing.

The last thing he saw before his opponent had disappeared was the characteristic cocky smirk she had whenever she had believed herself to be at a great advantage.

"Ohhhh?" Wonderweiss moaned out, tilting his head to illustrate his confusion.

Not even a second had passed before a fleeting image seemed to shoot across a battlefield, and before Wonderweiss could even register what had happened, he felt a slight tear in his clothing on his right arm, and on this tear the mark of Soifon's Shikai currently sat.

He began to shift his gaze around the courtyard, looking into the surrounding buildings and rooftops but to no avail. It happened once more, then again, and again, in such rapid succession that Wonderweiss began to become extremely frustrated, the slight cuts and black markings only making him even more infuriated.

It took him several more attacks before he was able to guess what was happening, but he understood. The women he was fighting was darting across the battlefield and hiding in the shadows so that she could continue to attack him and leave small cuts. This, however, meant she wouldn't be able to cut the black markings twice or she would lose speed and subsequently risk being hit by one of Wonderweiss's attacks. This in mind, she needed to be stopped, regardless of what he had to do in order to achieve that goal.

'_What is he doing?_' Soifon wondered, looking from the shadows at the child-like arrancar, who just licked one of his wounds before showing any indication of taking action.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOH!" Wonderweiss screamed out, becoming surrounded by an aura of light purple. The markings vanished and his spiritual energy was rising little by little, so much so that the very ground around him began to crack under the strain.

'_Is he going to release?_' Soifon wondered, not striking lest she do something that would backfire.

To her surprise, the blond-haired arrancar spread his jaws and began to charge a cero in his mouth, but it clearly wasn't a normal cero.

"What is that?" Soifon exclaimed, seeing the light purple, static cero pulse to life. The size of it appeared to be that of the arrancar that was firing it, and the intensity of the cero was unlike anything she had even witnessed.

Wonderweiss began to shift his head, firing off the cero in a ray of energy that absolutely demolished building after building, leaving no room at all for Soifon to hide and take advantage of the shadows.

Soifon had no choice, she used flash step once the arrancar had shifted his head in her direction, though she did try to use that to her advantage.

She appeared above Wonderweiss and attempted to perform a dive bomb and strike her zanpakuto directly through the center of his head. To her surprise, the arrancar had just shifted his head upwards, a standard purple cero forming in his mouth.

The squad two captain dodged once more, though she didn't take a chance with another counter attack and took specific note of what her position was like at the moment, and that was cause for concern.

"Dammit." Soifon spat, obviously frustrated that her opponent proved to be such a pain.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs Kenpachi **_

"Come on Espada! Get Serious!" Kenpachi shouted as he and his opponent met each other with nothing more than the cold steel of their swords.

'_I suppose if he wants it…_' Ichigo thought, believing that no matter what he did to Kenpachi short of killing him, he would be alright.

No sooner than the battle-crazed captain had made this request did it seem to be granted.

Ichigo had picked up the pace of his strikes and had intensified them to boot, but this only seemed to make Kenpachi even more pleased, which was evident by his grin growing to an unbelievable size.

"That's more like it." Kenpachi stated in a tone laced with bloodlust.

"**You should be more careful what you wish for.**" Ichigo stated, delivering powerful swipe that caused Kenpachi to lose his stance and stumble briefly.

That one break in his stance was all the opening that Ichigo needed to deliver a strong punch to Kenpachi's abdomen and send him flying into another wall.

Almost immediately however, Kenpachi lunged out of the rubble and dust right at Ichigo, appearing more fervent in his strikes than prior.

Ichigo responded in kind and opted to show Kenpachi just what it meant to ask him for a serious fight.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Kenpachi cackled, reveling at the feeling of his flesh being pierced by his opponent's blade.

"**Laugh at this.**" Ichigo stated, locking his blade with Kenpachi and delivering a swift punch to the captain's jaw.

The quick punch had done more than Ichigo had hoped and had caused his opponent to stumble once more, but Ichigo opted to use this to his advantage once more and delivered a swift cut across Kenpachi's chest before locking blades with him again.

"Your pretty good Espada." Kenpachi said contentedly, itching to see more of his opponent's power.

"**Thanks.**" Ichigo replied amusedly before breaking the stalemate and resuming the clash of their zanpakuto.

Ichigo would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this fight. Kenpachi had always been someone that he had considered a friend, but he had been displeased with how their first encounter had started. He was just itching to see how good a fight he would be able to give him if he hadn't been cowering from him the first half of the fight, and now he had that chance.

However, one very noticeable detail about the fight was starting to get on his nerves, and he now felt the need to address it.

"**I'm giving you a good fight, right?**" Ichigo asked, confusing Kenpachi, though he still kept his grin of bloodlust.

"So far." Kenpachi said, as if laying down a condition that the fight continue on its current path of elevation.

"**Then why don't you make it even better by using your full strength?**" Ichigo questioned, making Kenpachi chuckle slightly.

"You think I'd take off my eye patch that quickly in a fight?" Kenpachi retorted, raising a good point. Ichigo had recalled that he only wore the damn thing so he wouldn't win fights too quickly, which was the same reason behind him only using one hand when using his zanpakuto.

'_Guess I'll have to force it._' Ichigo thought before he decided to try to get the fight to go to a higher level.

A moment later, the pace at which Ichigo was striking at Kenpachi picked up once more. This time, however, he focused on doing light damage in-between the clashing of their swords. The result was for Kenpachi to receive several cuts along his arms and stomach, though theses didn't seem to bother him, they seemed to make him grin even more so than prior, and that annoyed Ichigo slightly.

"You've been holdin out on me." Kenpachi pointed out, taking note of the increase in the swords striking speed and the strength behind the attacks.

Ichigo made no reply and instead ducked under Kenpachi's next attack, which put him in a perfect position to bypass the sword entirely and finally force Kenpachi into releasing his full power.

'_What?_' Kenpachi though confusedly, believing that the Espada had just dodged the attack when he could have just blocked it.

His confusion was quickly quelled by a strong kick to his chin that had sent him flying into the air, high enough that he was able to see a good amount of the Soul Society.

While Kenpachi was still in the air, Ichigo used sonido to appear above him and clasped his face in the palm of his own hand before thrusting the squad eleven captain into the earth below.

Not even batting an eyelash, Ichigo then dove down into the ground below, his fist cocked back and ready to do some damage.

Kenpachi, however, hand other plans and quickly got out of the sizeable hole his landing had created so as to dodge the attack.

His eyes widened slightly upon seeing the crater become even larger than it had been after the Espada had planted his fist in the ground, but his surprise was short lived.

"You were really holding back on m…" Kenpachi said before being cut off in the form of the arrancar lunging at his with impressive speeds.

The abrupt strike had come as a surprise to the squad eleven captain and the strength and animosity behind it surprised him even more so than before. He easily blocked the swipe of his opponent's zanpakuto, but the strike had come so swiftly and with such force that he flew back into a nearby tree, destroying it. Kenpachi, however, landed instantly on his feet before lunging right back at his opponent just as before.

"**You're going to have to do better than that.**" Ichigo stated, simply outstretching his hand and catching his opponent's zanpakuto in the palm of his hand.

'_With his bare hand?_' Kenpachi thought, the surprise he felt being showed on his face in the form of widened eyes and his grin dropping.

Any further thought he would have on the matter instantly became an impossibility as Ichigo brought his sword across Kenpachi's torso, giving him a wound from his right hip to his left shoulder.

As blood flowed from the fresh wound, Ichigo released Kenpachi's sword from his grasp and delivered a swift kick to his stomach, once again launching the captain into a nearby wall. Ichigo knew the time was coming when Kenpachi would take off his eye patch, and that was what he had wanted for quite some time.

'_That's weird… he isn't jumping out like before._' Ichigo thought, staring into the cloud of dust that ensued from Kenpachi's landing into the wall.

"Hahahaha… hahahahahahaha!" Kenpachi cackled, his figure becoming visible from within the hole in the barrack's wall.

"You're a strong one Espada, but all the same, you're still not giving it your all." Kenpachi stated.

"**What makes you say that?**" Ichigo asked, though he had an idea of what the captian was getting at.

"Don't play dumb, even I can sense the spikes in spiritual pressure from around the Soul Society. A few of your little buddies have released, I want to see yours." Kenpachi replied, grinning as he finished.

"**If you want to see it, you're going to have to force me into using it, and at your current level that would be impossible.**" Ichigo replied, now knowing that Kenpachi would give it his all if he had even the slightest chance of seeing his release.

"Alright then…" Kenpachi began, moving his left hand up to his eye patch.

A moment later, he tore the black device off of his eye and tossed it aside, allowing his incredible spiritual energy to flow freely and destructively.

A spire of yellow energy shot into the sky, destroying what was left of the barracks the captain and been kicked into, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest.

The energy died down a moment later, which was followed by Kenpachi's grin becoming even wider and a glint of animosity making itself present in his eyes.

"What about this level?" Kenpachi asked rhetorically.

"**We'll just have to wait and see.**" Ichigo replied before both he and Kenpachi began to charge at one another, swords raised and intentions seemingly clear.

With each collision of blades, the ground began to crack beneath the two, showing that even the earth beneath their feet was at the mercy of their spiritual energy clashing with one another's.

Each swipe created a small fissure in the direction it was cast, and each block created a crack beneath the defender's feet.

"Even with my eye patch off, it still looks like you're doing pretty good." Kenpachi stated upon his blade locking with Ichigo's in a stalemate.

"**Did you really think you could overpower me that easily?**" Ichigo questioned amusedly, grinning behind the golden faceplate that covered his mouth and cheeks.

"Fair point, but I will see that release of yours. One way…" Kenpachi began, applying more pressure to his sword. His opponent responded in kind, and this resulted in the cracking of rocks behind and underneath the two adversaries.

"…or another." Kenpachi finished before placing a second hand on his sword.

'_What the hell is he doing?_' Ichigo wondered, though he got his answer a moment later.

Kenpachi brought his sword across Ichigo's blade, breaking the stalemate and causing Ichigo to fly backwards due to the force of a yellow wave of energy that was currently forcing him back.

Ichigo blocked the energy with his zanpakuto and used sonido to appear into the air before he was forced into a surface he couldn't pass through, looking around to find his opponent.

"Why'd you go into the air?" Kenpachi taunted, resting his sword across his shoulders to illustrate a sense of mild boredom.

'_It seems like when he used both of his hands on his sword, he can use a technique that is similar to the Getsuga Tenshou attack I used to be able to fire, but it's not exactly the same… there are subtle differences. His attack is more like an enormous amount of energy acting as an extended sword._' Ichigo thought, analyzing the attack his opponent had just launched.

"**Sorry if that disappointed you… here, let me make it up to you.**" Ichigo replied before disappearing via sonido.

Not even a second had passed before he was right above Kenpachi with his sword raised and prepared to come down on Kenpachi like a storm onto the earth.

A resounding boom resulted from the collision of the two zanpakuto, one that seemed to echo throughout the immediate area.

The very ground cracked under the pressure of the attack, but Kenpachi stood strong and immediately went on the offensive in the form of a swing aimed for the Espada's head. Ichigo blocked the strike and delivered a swift kick to Kenpachi's chest before landing on the ground and subsequently making to cut his opponents torso in an attempt to take advantage of what he believed to be an opening.

Kenpachi, however, quickly recovered from the kick and blocked the strike with his own zanpakuto before locking blades with his opponent once more.

"**You're improving.**" Ichigo commented, noticing that the kick he had attempted hadn't given him an opening to deliver a blow to his opponent.

"At first your speed got me off guard, but now I think I'm used to it." Kenpachi stated, grinning at the feel of the arrancar applying more pressure to his blade and subsequently making the two zanpakuto shake from the applied force.

The two separated, recoiling from the combined force that was expelled once their stalemate was ended. Ichigo was the first to recover and swiftly lunged at Kenpachi, reentering the exchange of blows they had previously become accustomed to.

Sparks flew with each swipe, making the sword bout appear to be a display of fireworks due to the rapid succession of attacks.

Unlike previously, however, Kenpachi was the first to break the pattern by allowing one of Ichigo's attacks to pierce his left shoulder. The battle-hungry captain then proceeded to grab his opponent's zanpakuto and hold it in place within his shoulder, preventing Ichigo from moving.

Under his hood, Ichigo's eyes widened slightly, immediately knowing what was about to happen.

Kenpachi's grin of bloodlust was clearly evident as he brought up his zanpakuto, making to deliver the exact same injury to his opponent. Ichigo quickly caught the sword with his hand, but the abruptness with which he had to do so hadn't allowed him to reinforce his skin with spiritual energy, and, as a result, a small trickle of blood made its way down the sharp edge of Kenpachi's blade, the sight of which made said captain smirk.

"Looks like you can be cut after all." Kenpachi said, still holding Ichigo's blade in the confines of his shoulder.

"**There isn't anyone who can't bleed, but getting someone to bleed doesn't mean you can defeat them.**" Ichigo retorted.

"Hehehehe…" Kenpachi began to chuckle, something that confused Ichigo.

"**Any particular reason you're laughing?**" Ichigo asked out of mild curiosity, sensing that his opponent wasn't even hinting at making a move at the moment.

"I think it's safe to say that I haven't had a fight this good since…" Kenpachi began, trailing off as memories of his battle with Ichigo popped into his head. His characteristic grin of bloodlust had vanished, and that made Ichigo raise a brow under his hood considering the fact that Kenpachi didn't seem like the type to do something like this in the middle of a fight.

"…let's just say it's been a while." Kenpachi continued, his grin returning.

"**I'd have to say the same. Not many of my fights recently have been met with any resistance, but you have been the first person to actually cut me.**" Ichigo stated.

"Glad to hear it… now let's get back to business." Kenpachi said before releasing Ichigo's blade as a sign that he wished to continue.

"**Alright then…**" Ichigo began before letting go of his opponent's zanpakuto and using sonido to appear a good distance away, though he still stood in front of him.

The blood that lightly dripped to the ground from Ichigo's left hand ceased and a white substance began to cover the wound, a moment later healing it and making it seem as if nothing had even scratched his skin.

"…**but it's your funeral.**" Ichigo taunted.

"Instant regeneration, eh? Interesting… so, you really can use hollow abilities." Kenpachi thought aloud, confusing Ichigo.

"**I'm an arrancar so of course I possess the abilities of a hollow.**" Ichigo replied.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you haven't used any of the techniques I've heard about like a cero or that Resurrección you arrancar have." Kenpachi explained.

"Hell, I haven't even seen your spiritual energy yet." Kenpachi added, making Ichigo smirk under his faceplate.

"**Really… let me fix that.**" Ichigo said. No sooner than these words left Ichigo's mouth, a colossal wave of dark crimson spiritual energy pulsed forth from his body, unrelenting in its intensity, and powerful enough to the point that the very winds within miles of the immediate area began to whip about uncontrollably.

Kenpachi, for the first time during the fight, opened his eyes more so than usual and showed all of his teeth through his grin. The spiritual energy of his opponent was phenomenal, and he very much so looked forward to forcing him into releasing his sword.

"Impressive… but I think I can match that." Kenpachi stated before an enormous amount of yellow spiritual energy shot froth from his body and began to extend into the sky and the air around him.

Under the strain of the two combined spiritual energies, the very ground began to shake slightly, and the buildings around them began to crack. Windows shattered and the winds within the immediate area were nearing dangerously high speeds. Despite all these things, the two combatants looked at each other, both grinning like madmen at what was to come.

"**You ready for this?**" Ichigo questioned, bringing his sword up and flaring his spiritual energy more so than he already had.

"I was born ready!" Kenpachi roared before using all his speed to charge Ichigo.

_**Soul Society: 1**__**st**__** Division's Barracks, Captain's Meeting Room **_

The allies of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads sat in silence within the confines of the meeting room, simply sensing out the battles that were occurring and wondering why the head captain had taken no action as of yet. The multiple pulses of spiritual energy within the Sereitei hadn't done much to ease anyone nerves. In fact, it only served to wear on them.

"Head Captain Yamamoto, I've had enough of this waitin around crap, I'm headin out." Shinji stated, though the swift boom of Yamamoto's cane halted his exit.

"You will do no such thing! This is the heart of the Soul Society and as Soul Reapers we will defend it. That is the sworn duty of every Soul Reaper and above all else it will be upheld." Yamamoto stated.

'_Dumb old man._' Hiyori thought out of annoyance. She may be outspoken, but Yamamoto was the one Soul Reaper in all of existence that she could honestly say she both respected and feared, but that was simply the effect he had on people.

"Can you sense what's going on out there?" Shinji asked with a slight edge to his tone.

"All across the Sereitei, we're losing, and if we don't do something you're gonna be short a few military assets." Shinji stated before walking out, followed by Hiyori.

The room sat in silence, everyone looking at Yamamoto, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.

The head captain was both quite old and a proud warrior, but this had the side-effect of making him stubborn. That said, when the time came he knew he would have to make decisions, and now was such a time.

"What are you all waiting around for?" Yamamoto asked, immediately after which the entirety of the room's inhabitants ran out the door.

**A/N Well that'd be Chapter 32 and Chapter 33 will be posted on Friday. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Why haven't I introduced Yoruichi and the others yet?**: To be honest, if I didn't do it this way it would have to be a free for all between the arrancar with each facing several opponents, plus I could easily see Yamamoto doing something like this, and in fact, he only accepted the help of the vizards over fake Karakura simply because they were outgunned once Wonderweiss showed up. Either way, it works better this way.

**The Matchups**: In general, I feel that in each of the chapters that the fight scenes take place, I focus a bit more on certain fights than in others. I can say that Wonderweiss vs. Soifon is quite difficult to write, but it is necessary given that Wonderweiss is the most durable arrancar, other than Nnoitora but then again Wonderweiss won't kill anyone. I can say this though, Byakuya and Grimmjow, that one will be good, Kenpachi vs. Ichigo will be good, the next matchups that come when the vizards and the rest should be good, but for the most part, the battles go the way they should.

**What happens when Ichigo and Yoruichi meet?**: That happens in two chapters and I can say that it will entirely backfire on Ichigo, but not in the way you'd think, meaning he won't reveal himself and she will go with him, but the means by which she travels to Las Noches won't be quite what Ichigo had originally intended.

_**Reviews**_:

**darkmachines**: Thanks! Also Nnoitora easily beats the three lieutenants, but his next opponents won't exactly be easy for him to kill. I thought about bringing Tesla, but then I decided that it would simply make it more difficult to write given how I have all this play out. Also, not really all of them are even matchups. Grimmjow and Byakuya, yeah, they are pretty even but Byakuya has a decent edge. Ulquiorra and Ukitake, yes, I would agree with that to a degree, meaning when he hasn't released. Starrk and Kyoraku, I would also agree. However, Ichigo is stronger than Kenpachi, and Halibel is quite easily stronger than Hitsugaya by a sizeable margin. When he is using his Bankai and she is not, the only advantage he has is that his abilities aren't known to her.

**FinalDemon**: I would agree with this, and, to me, it makes more sense somehow…

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks, hope you like this chapter a swell.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Glad to hear it! Was hoping I wrote the fight scenes well enough.

**LonelyHollow117**: Thanks, your support and compliments mean a lot!

**hornet07**: All I can really say is, thanks for your compliments. Actually, that's not entirely true. I can also say that I will do my best to continue getting better and I will also try not to let anyone down. Also, on criticism, I find criticism to be constructive and, for the most part, every error that is pointed out is usually fixed before the next update. I don't mind it and if someone says they hate something I did, it doesn't bother me, but then again, if it did, I wouldn't have written it in the first place. For the record, I did read your review in its entirety, also I finished this chapter before I read this, but I did start working on the next after I read it xD.

**Gunbladez19**: Ichigo vs. Kenpachi, no he won't hear his sword's voice and Unohana won't show up in that specific fight, nor will she fight anyone in general. However, something along those lines happens after the arrancar leave…

**Dp11**: Glad to hear it! None of the Espada actually die in the Soul Society, and yes, Ichigo is capable of using his new cero in his unreleased state. That has always been how he has fired it.

**Akuma-Heika**: Its fine, don't worry about it. You also don't have to delete any of the questions, nor did you have to. I read every review and respond to every review from the previous chapter. Also, I know what captain Hitsugaya stated, but I believe he was referring to a Vasto Lorde that had become an arrancar. If he wasn't, then he was severely mistaken given the fact that an arrancar ha significantly magnified strength from a normal hollow. The hammer head hollow, I believe that was simply a hollow given arrancar powers by Aizen through the Hogyoku, and yes, he likely planned that out, but all the same he killed it extremely easily. Also, no problem!

**IchiFell**: No problem, but I, for the most part, respond to every review. Her reaction will be in the next three chapters I believe. Also, I kind of figured that was the case but all the same, I have a policy of never starting another story until I finish the one I am currently writing. I can start an outline, but no concrete writing. And for the last bit, thanks!

**friaku**: Thanks, and you bet!

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: All of the Espada have their numbers on the back of the hand they used to hold their swords up to the stone, basically, all the numbers are now on their left hand. I fixed the suzumeibachi thing, and Yoruichi is in the squad one barracks with everyone else, but she shows up in the fights next chapter and on.

**BleachFan21**: Thanks, and here you go.

**Guest(1)**: Maybe, again, maybe, haven't decided on any other pairings. Can't answer the one about Starrk, and also they would be good friends outside of fighting. For your second one, I still haven't decided really.

**The Night Hunter**: Thanks, also Ukitake and Ulquiorra are of similar strength without Ulquiorra releasing and without Ukitake using the full abilities of his Shikai. The "fantastic four" as you put it, will show up in the same room in about three or four chapters.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, glad to hear you like the matchups, also here is the next chapter.

**VicRB**: Its fine, also I most likely won't change the update schedule seeing as how I like it a good bit, and in general, glad to hear you like the story.

**sami217**: Thanks, and I doubt that Soifon is of the same strength, physically that is, as the head captain, so no, I don't think she could severely injure Wonderweiss outside of her shunko or Bankai. Glad to hear you like Risha, hollow Ichigo, can't quite say anything regarding that. They won't find out, and the two officially run into each other two chapters from now.

**Guest(2)**: I'm not entirely sure what you want me to explain… sorry.

**Universal-Public-Cockblocker**: You name makes you sound like a dick, pun intended :P. Thanks for the compliments and glad you like the story! Great to see you, along with a lot of people apparently, like Risha. Central 46 is still dead at the moment, and I can't really say anything about Ichigo being on Aizen's side or not.

**Fire0770**: Nice to see you liked it. He is enjoying the fight, and Ulquiorra will likely not release his sword, despite the fact that his next opponent will be… someone I won't disclose. Also, Ulquiorra is actually quite strong, so he would very much so easily mop the floor with Ukitake if he didn't give the fight his all. Ukitake won't die, no one actually will, but several will be injured. And yes, indeed I am back on my "normal" schedule.

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, and so far (knock on wood) I haven't.

**Arrankor**: Glad to hear it!

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks! Also, there is a reason she didn't come along and I did need someone to talk to Yoruichi who wasn't Aizen, plus I could make it kind of awkward if I wanted to, but I still haven't settled on how I want that conversation to go. Also, he won't die… yet.

**Harbinger-of-script**: Thanks and I will!


	33. Delays

**A/N Here is chapter 33 and the last chapter before Ichigo and Yoruichi **_**FINALLY**_ **see each other again, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 33 **

_**Soul Society: 1**__**st**__** Division's Barracks, Captain's Meeting Room **_

The allies of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads sat in silence within the confines of the meeting room, simply sensing out the battles that were occurring and wondering why the head captain had taken no action as of yet. The multiple pulses of spiritual energy within the Sereitei hadn't done much to ease anyone nerves. In fact, it only served to wear on them.

"Head Captain Yamamoto, I've had enough of this waitin around crap, I'm headin out." Shinji stated, though the swift boom of Yamamoto's cane halted his exit.

"You will do no such thing! This is the heart of the Soul Society and as Soul Reapers we will defend it. That is the sworn duty of every Soul Reaper and above all else it will be upheld." Yamamoto stated.

'_Dumb old man._' Hiyori thought out of annoyance. She may be outspoken, but Yamamoto was the one Soul Reaper in all of existence that she could honestly say she both respected and feared, but that was simply the effect he had on people.

"Can you sense what's going on out there?" Shinji asked with a slight edge to his tone.

"All across the Sereitei we're losing, and if we don't do something you're gonna be short a few military assets." Shinji stated before walking out, followed by Hiyori.

The room sat in silence, everyone looking at Yamamoto, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.

The head captain was both quite old and a proud warrior, but this had the side-effect of making him stubborn. That said, when the time came he knew he would have to make decisions, and now was such a time.

"What are you all waiting around for?" Yamamoto asked, immediately after which the entirety of the room's inhabitants ran out the door.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Hitsugaya vs Nelliel and Halibel **_

'_Both of them seem to be incredibly powerful. I can't afford to break my stance or let my guard down for even a moment._' Hitsugaya thought, raising his sword and glaring at his opponents.

"I have an idea of how to end this quickly, but I will need your help to pull it off." Nel whispered, getting a nod of understanding from Halibel.

"Very well, enlighten me." Halibel replied.

'_The spiritual energy of the arrancar I had just fought is stronger than the green-haired woman's, which means that if I use my full strength, I may have a chance if neither of them releases._' Hitsugaya thought, making an attempt to gather some semblance of a strategy.

'_When will they make a move?_' Hitsugaya wondered, though his inward question was answered a second later upon both women disappearing via sonido and reappearing on Hitsugaya's respective sides, Nel to his right, and Halibel to his left.

Both women attacked Hitsugaya quite feverously, but the white-haired prodigy managed to block each blow with his own zanpakuto, though he never had a chance to counterattack given his current position.

The combination of attacks was unbelievable. Whenever Hitsugaya found himself in a position to counterattack one of his opponents, the other would ensure that if he did try to mount a counterattack, he would lose a limb or suffer a grievous injury, both of which were definitely not preferable at the moment.

Knowing for a fact that he was on the back foot, Hitsugaya used flash step to appear higher in the air so as to attempt to use one of his Bankai's special abilities, but no sooner than his form became visible, Halibel's blade was eagerly awaiting to clash with his blade.

'_How can she be so quick?_' Hitsugaya wondered. He was under the impression that the full speed of attacks was what the two had been using previously, but this slight bout proved that thinking to be folly. Halibel was attacking at such a pace that it seemed as if he was fighting both of the women at once. In fact, he was so distracted that he hadn't noticed that one of his opponents was missing.

The two locked blades for a brief moment before Halibel outstretched her left hand and extended it so that her hand was directly next to Hitsugaya's right ear, pointing directly behind him.

On the tip of her outstretched index finger, Halibel quickly charged a powerful yellow cero, firing it behind Hitsugaya and completely missing him, though it appeared that her intent was to do so.

'_That cero charged so quickly that had she used her comrade to distract me, I likely wouldn't be able to stop it. But why fire it in such a way?_' Hitsugaya wondered.

The last thing that he saw was the slight movement of Halibel's cheeks in an upward direction and a slightly amused look gracing her eyes, making her appear as if she was contentedly smirking behind her mask fragment.

Hitsugaya quickly broke the stalemate and made to slice the midsection of the blond Espada, but his blade was merely met with her image.

"Afterimage." Hitsugaya exclaimed before turning around as he expected the next attack to come from his flank. When he turned however, he saw an absolutely massive wave of pink spiritual energy rapidly approaching.

Whatever it was, he knew it wasn't a normal cero, and it was too late to do anything about it. He merely widened his eyes and took the attack head-on.

An explosion ensued where Hitsugaya had been, serving as the evidence that the attack had landed in the form of a direct hit.

Halibel appeared next to Nel a moment later, staring off at the center of the explosion to make sure that the captain hadn't pulled any tricks, despite the fact she knew he hadn't expected the modified cero to hit him in the first place.

"Well done, Nelliel." Halibel halfheartedly complimented.

"I could say the same about you." Nel replied emotionlessly.

A sudden spike of spiritual energy broke them from whatever conversation they were about to have, the source of it being undoubtedly Ichigo.

"Ichigo." Nel and Halibel exclaimed simultaneously, staring off in the direction they knew him to be.

'_**Ichigo, why are you exuding so much spiritual energy?**_' Halibel questioned.

'_**If you knew my opponent, you'd understand.**_' Ichigo replied, obviously sounding as if he was currently concentrating on fighting.

'_**Just don't do anything stupid.**_' Nel said, subsequently hearing a slight laugh from someone who was unmistakably Ichigo.

'_**Take the advice to heart, Ichigo.**_' Halibel added, this time not being met with a chuckle.

'_**Hey, I won't get hurt, you can count on that.**_' Ichigo said in a soft, reassuring tone.

'_**That is all I ask.**_' Halibel replied in a tone exhibiting a slight amount of emotion.

'_**You do know we can all here you…**_' Grimmjow pointed out. On the other ends of their respective conversations, Ichigo blushed, and Halibel shut her eyes out of mild embarrassment, herself blushing slightly as well.

"Tia, may I ask you a question?" Nel asked once the mental conversation had been abruptly ended.

"You may." Halibel answered. She thought of saying that Nel had just asked her a question, but for some reason she only liked to do that when Ichigo do something of the sort.

"Are you… how should I put this…" Nel began, trying to find the right words.

"Are you… and I want to stress that you don't have to answer… are you attracted to Ichigo?" Nel asked, getting the question out in the open.

'_She picks now to ask me that question?_' Halibel thought confusedly.

"I will answer your question if and only if you answer it as well." Halibel stated, eliciting a nod of understanding from Nel.

"I am indeed attracted to him." Halibel confessed, not sounding at all like she regretted saying such a thing. In fact, she seemed quite stern in her answer.

"I see…" Nel trailed off, sounding somewhat conflicted.

'_Then it appears as if we are going to have a problem…_' Nel thought before she made to answer the question as per the condition Halibel had laid out.

"I am attracted to him as well." Nel stated, making Halibel slightly glare at her, and Nel mimic her action a second later.

Both of them had been somewhat aware that this was the case, but this had been the first time that they had actually talked to the other on the issue.

"Then I suppose you desire to make him your own as I wish to?" Halibel questioned, the glares of both women narrowing once Nel had nodded in the affirmative.

'_We will most certainly have a problem._' Halibel thought.

"How do you…" Nel began to ask before being cut off in the form of the explosion dying down and revealing their opponent to be only moderately wounded.

Nel and Halibel instantly put aside whatever it was that they were about to start and opted to turn their attention back to the captain, each examining the damage he had taken from the devastating offensive Nel had mounted with Halibel's assistance.

The squad ten captain didn't appear to be all that injured bodily, though he had several burns on his skin, and his clothes looked tattered and worn out. The ice wings of his Bankai, however, were extremely damaged, and the ice around his right arm was chipped down to just an outline of said arm, no longer showing the image of a dragon over his hand.

'_That was too close…_' Hitsugaya thought, the memory of what had just happened flashing before his eyes.

'_If I hadn't used my Bankai to shield myself in time, that attack would have either killed me or done enough damage to take me out of this fight._' Hitsugaya thought, trying to regain his strength once he realized that his two opponents weren't currently making any attempts on his life.

"It would appear that he used his Bankai to shield himself from our attack." Halibel stated, noticing the highly damaged ice around Hitsugaya's arm, and the relative disappearance of the two wings.

"If you thought something like that would end this fight, you are sorely mistaken." Hitsugaya stated before a light glow of light blue spiritual energy began to surround his body. A moment later the ice wings and other damaged parts of his Bankai began to reform, showing that he was far from finished.

"We weren't making an attempt to end you, captain. In fact, if you were smart you would have just stayed down and saved yourself the pain." Nel stated impassively, prompting the white-haired captain to sweat.

Hitsugaya made no verbal response to this. He simply outstretched his sword horizontally and aimed the sharp edge at his opponents.

"Hado Number 32, Okasen." Hitsugaya uttered, sending a golden ray of spiritual energy from his zanpakuto directly at his opponents.

To his surprise, neither of them moved out of the way as he had anticipated. Rather, the green-haired arrancar outstretched the palm of her left hand and stopped the kido dead in its tracks.

"What?" Hitsugaya exclaimed upon seeing the woman open her mouth and begin to absorb the spiritual energy of his attack until it became nonexistent.

A moment later, a pink cero was fired out of Nel's mouth, raging towards Hitsugaya at impressive speeds.

He quickly used flash step to get out of the way, but when he phased back into existence, Halibel was there to greet him with her zanpakuto, which was glowing with yellow spiritual energy. The two began to clash blades in the air, but Hitsugaya could feel himself being pushed back.

With one powerful swipe from Halibel, Hitsugaya was broken out of his stance, but the sound of multiple sonido graced his ears. The next thing he knew, the green-haired arrancar was starting him down with her fist cocked back and intent quite clear.

The second that her fist connected, most, if not all, of the ice surrounding Hitsugaya's body shattered, and even he released an audible gasp due to the pain as he flew backwards, his eyes now fixed into the sky above him.

Unfortunately, his troubles were not over just yet, which was evident by the appearance of his other opponent hovering above him with her sword still glowing that yellow color he had come to hate over the course of this fight.

"Ola Azul." Halibel uttered, firing a sizeable blast of yellow spiritual energy right down at the captain.

The attack sent Hitsugaya plummeting into the earth and appeared to suck out whatever fight he had left in him, which was something they knew would be necessary.

A small crater could be seen around his immobile body though is eyes were still open and the quiet moans of pain he was giving off were a sign that he was going to live.

"I believe we are done here." Halibel stated as she landed back onto the ground.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." A jovial male's voice called out from behind the two women.

Both Halibel and Nel turned, only to find two oddly dressed men, one wearing what appeared to be a black suit of some kind, and the other wearing a green jump suit. The one in black had long blond hair, and the other had brown starfish-like hair. The two seemed to have the spiritual energy of Soul Reapers, but they clearly weren't dressed like them.

"And just what are you supposed to be?" Halibel asked, her hand still being placed on the grip of her zanpakuto.

"Oh where are my manners? My name is Rojuro Otoribashi, but you can call me Rose."

"Names Love Aikawa, but you can call me Love."

"I didn't ask who you were, I asked what you were." Halibel stated, prompting love to chuckle.

"Well we're not exactly Soul Reapers if that's what you're asking…" Love began, causing both Nel and Halibel to raise a confused brow.

"…but we'd have to be idiots to tell you all our secrets, now wouldn't we?" Love finished.

"You really did a number on Captain Hitsugaya, good thing we got here when we did." Love stated, causing Halibel to merely scoff at the implication.

"You truly believe you will fare any better?" Halibel questioned amusedly, prompting Nel to unsheathe her zanpakuto so as to prepare for the inevitable conflict.

"Well I do so hate to brag, but we are quite strong, don't you agree Love?" Rose questioned in an attempt to mock the arrancar.

"Your confidence is misplaced." Halibel stated coldly, causing a chill to run up the spines of both vizards present.

"Is it now?" Rose retorted, sounding slightly amused. His slight smirk still graced his features, but what happened next extinguished said smirk.

"Indeed it is…" Halibel began before she stabbed her zanpakuto into the ground, something that was mimicked by Nel, who full understood what she was going to do.

Both of the Espada took off the glove that covered their right hand and held it up for the two vizards to see.

"Sexta Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelshvank."

"Tercera Espada, Tia Halibel."

At the sight of both numbers, any semblance of doubt in their opponents' strength disappeared for both Love and Rose, each realizing that they would likely have a tough battle ahead of them.

No sooner than he heard the ranks of the two Espada, Hitsugaya got up and used flash step to appear next to the two vizards, clearly believing that they would sorely need his help.

"I admire your tenacity, but in your condition you will only serve to slow them down." Nel stated emotionlessly.

"You need to recover Captain Hitsugaya, let us fight them until your good to go. Then we can try to combine our strengths to defeat them." Love said, eliciting a begrudging nod from Hitsugaya before he vanished via flash step.

"So you're Espada, eh?" Rose questioned, drawing his sword upon the two females picking up their zanpakuto.

"I thought that would be rather obvious at this point, but it doesn't matter. Regardless of the fact that you know we are Espada, that doesn't change the differences in our strength's." Halibel stated.

"Love, if at all possible, don't use the mask until we know we can end this fight." Rose whispered, eliciting a discrete nod from his comrade.

"Ready ladies?" Love questioned, drawing his own zanpakuto.

No reply came other than the abrupt charging on Nel and Halibel. The blond Espada clashed blades with Love, and the green-haired Espada clashed blades with Rose, starting off the first of many strikes in the ongoing battle.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Rangiku and Momo vs. Halibel's Fraccion**_

An abrupt spike in spiritual energy from the confines of the squad ten barracks caused each of the five women to look off into the distance, for a brief moment forgetting that they were in fact fighting.

"What was that?" Rangiku whispered, sensing the massive display of power.

"It doesn't matter right now. We need to focus on these three." Momo replied, bringing Rangiku back to the task at hand.

"Their strength seems to have increased… and that attack we just used will likely not work again, which means we have to come up with something else." Rangiku stated, eliciting a nod of understanding from her comrade.

Thankfully, they had some reprieve in the form of the three arrancar just floating in air, appearing to be either deep in thought, or simply spacing out.

"It would appear that the source was indeed him, though the other half of that spiritual energy is a captain, and a strong one at that." Mila Rose stated, addressing Apacci and Sung-Sun.

The telepathic communication had confirmed their beliefs, but they knew for a fact that the source of the other spiritual energy wasn't Ichigo, and considering that the other source was incredibly powerful, they had some cause to worry.

"As if he would ever lose to a Soul Reaper." Apacci scoffed.

"If you two are finished, we have work to do." Sung-Sun pointed out, knowing full well that they had allowed their opponents valuable time to either come up with a plan, or size up the spiritual energy of the three fraccion.

"Rangiku, I think we should try to gauge their strength. Be careful though… I'm not entirely sure just how strong they became." Momo stated, eliciting a nod of understanding from the squad 10 lieutenant.

"Alright…" Rangiku replied before both vanished via flash step.

Rangiku appeared above Appaci, making to deliver a strike to her arm while Momo appeared directly in front of Mila Rose, Sung-Sun to attempt the same thing. The reasoning for this was simple; they hadn't known what weapons or means of fighting the two would use in their released states. The dark-skinned arrancar still held a zanpakuto of some kind, but the other two didn't appear to have any weapons.

"That was ill-advised." Sung-Sun chided before moving her left hand to grab Momo's blade.

As opposed to a hand, however, a white snake with three pink dots behind its eyes shot out and wrapped around the fire-type Zanpakuto and Momo's hands. The snake then positioned its head directly in front of Momo's chest and began to charge a dark-pink cero within its mouth.

Rangiku missed with her initial strike and then opted to make an attempt to save Momo from being taken out of combat due to the cero that was about to fire.

"Heinako!" Rangiku exclaimed, sending her ashes directly in front of the snake's mouth.

Apacci, however, saw this as an opportunity to do some damage and simply fired am crimson bala from her horn directly at Rangiku.

The blast from the attack caused her to recoil, and she lost control of the ashes before the cero fired, though she was still in enough control to drastically reduce the impact of the blast, or so she thought.

That said, the cero reacted quite violently with Rangiku's ashes, much the same as Momo's fireballs previously. The end result was a sizeable explosion erupting from Momo's location, large enough to consume each and every one of the five combatants within the resulting smoke and fire.

A moment later, the sound of both sonido and flash step could be heard. Sung-Sun appeared fine, Apacci had a burn on her right cheek, and Mila Rose had a burn on her left forearm.

The snake that Sung-Sun had used, however, was nowhere to be seen, and her expression appeared to be one of mild annoyance.

Momo and Rangiku, on the other hand, were in much worse shape. Momo's sleeves were completely gone, and she had several tears and burn marks on her clothes. Rangiku still had the cuts she had received prior, in addition to torn, burnt clothing, and several ash marks on her skin.

"You three feel like ending this now or what?" Apacci asked, sounding very, very annoyed.

She then began to charge a crimson cero on the tip of her horns and aimed directly at the two Soul Reapers. Mila Rose and Sung-Sun did the same, though Sung-Sun used her physical right hand to do so instead of a like she had previously.

"Dammit." Rangiku spat, still trying to recover from the previous engagement, as was Momo.

Before the three cero could even be fired off, someone decided to intervene, and just in the nick of time.

"Tsugi no mai…" A voice called out, bringing the attention of the three female arrancar to its source.

"…Hakuren!" The voice shouted, subsequently after which a torrent of ice shot straight towards Apacci, Sung-Sun and Mila Rose.

The only choice the three had lest they be hit by the attack was to dissipate their respective cero and use sonido to get out of the way.

The group appeared a fair distance away from where the colossal wave of ice had connected.

"What the hell was that?" Apacci exclaimed confusedly.

"I believe it was that Soul Reaper girl who is now next to the two lieutenants." Sung-Sun stated, being the first of the three to notice the purple eyed, raven-haired Soul Reaper that entered the battlefield.

"She's got purple eyes, so is she the one we're looking for?" Apacci whispered, though Sung-Sun simply facepalmed at her blatant stupidity.

"Her hair is purple and her eyes are golden. You really should listen more often." Sung-Sun chided, though Apacci only growled at her in response.

"Just how the hell was I supposed to remember that?!" Apacci exclaimed.

"It isn't that hard to remember. Frankly, I think it takes more effort to forget something like that than it does to remember it." Mila Rose taunted.

"Why you…" Apacci began, a tick mark appearing on her forehead.

"Are you alright?" Rukia questioned, seeing that their opponents were, in some form or another, fighting.

"We wouldn't be if you hadn't shown up just then." Momo replied, prompting Rukia to nod.

"Think nothing of it. As soon as I sensed that your spiritual energies were being eclipsed by your opponents, I rushed over here as quickly as I could." Rukia stated.

"Your captain doesn't need your help?" Rangiku asked confusedly.

"Just because I am to participate in the winter war doesn't mean that the captain wants to put me on the front lines. To be honest, I think he'd protest to my being here to help you." Rukia answered.

"Then we thank you for being such a good bad girl." Rangiku joked.

"So what are we up against?" Rukia questioned, wanting to get up to speed as soon as she was able.

"They're strong." Momo replied quickly, getting straight to the point.

"Then at least now it's an even fight." Rukia stated, smirking slightly.

"Soul Reaper girl…" Sung-Sun called out, making the three opposing females blink confusedly.

"Do you mean me?" Rukia questioned, motioning a finger towards herself in a confused manner.

"I do, and I want to ask you this. What is your name?" Sung-Sun questioned.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs Kenpatchi **_

"Now we're starting to have some real fun Espada!" Kenpatchi shouted, flaring his spiritual energy more and more and he and Ichigo continuously clashed blades.

"**So you think…**" Ichigo began before stopping midsentence. From across the Sereitei, he could feel a very familiar spiritual signature that had just entered combat. He could tell it was within the battlefield of Halibel's fraccion.

Three he knew to be Halibel's fraccion, one he knew to be Rangiku, one he knew to be some Soul Reaper lieutenant that he had sensed previously but never recalled meeting, but the last one was the familiar presence, and it only took a moment to remember who she was.

'_Rukia…_' Ichigo thought, immediately recalling the name of the woman he had sensed.

Ichigo and Kenpatchi continued to clash blades, but the tenacity with which Ichigo had previously approached the matter vanished for a brief period of time, even though his opponent seemed to be enjoying himself too much to notice.

He recalled that night he met her, images of a hollow attacking his family, and a short, raven-haired Soul Reaper coming to his aid and, ironically enough, stabbing him in the chest in order to give him the power to save his family. That had been where this all began, but it didn't stop there.

He recalled his meeting Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai in the world of the living, he recalled the shattered shaft, he recalled Kisuke Urahara, he recalled Tessai, the two children, Jinta and Ururu, and even the mod souls. He recalled going to the Soul Society, his first encounter with Gin at the gates, and this was the point he started putting the pieces of fights together.

He first fought Ikkaku Madarame, then defeated Renji Abarai, then Kenpatchi Zaraki, then he attained Bankai with the help of Yoruichi over a period of three days, then he finally became able to defeat Byakuya Kuchiki atop Sokyoku hill, albeit with the help of an unwanted guest.

He delivered a powerful horizontal strike at his opponent, packing enough force to push Kenpachi back for just enough time to gaze at a hill off in the distance, which for some reason he just felt the need to look at.

This was the point at which any pleasant feelings of his returning memories had stopped. He was brought atop the hill, the memories of the place returning. He recalled seeing Rukia in a white rob, being approached by Gin, Tosen, and Aizen, though their appearances were different than he was used to seeing. Still, it was them none the less.

Ichigo attacked Aizen but was taken down within a second, not even able to do any damage. The next thing he saw was a purple orb being extracted after which several captains and lieutenants showed up, and then, Aizen had left by way of a golden ray of light, but that wasn't all. He recalled a very memorable message he had received after his battle with Byakuya, the voice of some female lieutenant ringing in his head. This was when he realized that that Aizen had murdered the Soul Society's governing body of Central 46, pinned the Soul Reapers against one another, and had set up Rukia's execution in the first place.

'_Aizen… so that's what he meant._' Ichigo thought as his memories of this place seemed to come together. All the same, other than Rukia's execution and the kidnapping of Orihime, Aizen hadn't done anything wrong to him personally. That said, he was certainly evil enough and more than capable, at least, he thought he was. But if that was the case, why would he not simply brainwash Ichigo into doing his biding.

On top of that, Aizen hadn't lied to him unless it was for a good reason, and even Ichigo had to admit, he was honest when he said what he would remember might make Ichigo go against him. Even with this new information, none of it mattered at the moment, and thus, he refocused on the fight at hand.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Byakuya vs. Grimmjow**_

"That all you got captain?" Grimmjow taunted, lunging at Byakuya with impressive speeds and delivering a series of horizontal slashes with the blades on his forearms.

The stoic captain merely blocked each of the attempted strikes with his own blade, having believed it best to size up his opponent before developing a battle strategy.

"If you were clever enough, you would have figured out that I am getting a feel for your strength." Byakuya replied.

"In that case, let me show you just what you're getting into!" Grimmjow roared before he picked up the pace of his attacks.

'_Interesting, his speed is incredibly different from before. But such an increase in speed and power so quickly…_' Byakuya thought. If he hadn't been cautions, he likely would have suffered some kind of injury, and that made him worry for his lieutenant.

As Byakuya and Grimmjow rapidly exchanged blows, Byakuya could feel the spiritual energy of his lieutenant and that of two others being eclipsed by a much larger presence. On top of that, the amount of spiritual energy coming from the squad eleven barracks was so colossal it was almost frightening, perhaps not to him, but more than enough to scare away any Soul Reaper who wasn't at least of lieutenant level.

"Come on Kuchiki, show me what you've got under that fancy scarf of yours." Grimmjow taunted, making Byakuya frown, albeit barely.

"Very well…" Byakuya trailed off before using flash step to appear directly behind his opponent.

The abrupt strike at his flank didn't even seem to catch Grimmjow off guard as he easily turned to block it. However, he hadn't expected what happened next. The cold steel of Byakuya's blade that was currently locked with his became a series of small pink petal-like objects that simply rushed forward. Knowing what the tiny weapons could accomplish, Grimmjow vanished via sonido and appeared high above ground in the air.

Unfortunately for the Octava, Byakuya had predicted this and was already on top of the area that Grimmjow had appeared at, his blade once again in his hand. Grimmjow quickly blocked the attack and mounted several counterattacks in order to gain the upper hand.

This pattern of strikes and blocks continued for some time before the two used their respective escape techniques and appeared on the ground a good distance from the other, just staring at their opponent.

The temporary standstill was broken the instant that Grimmjow opted to attack once more, though he was clearly annoyed as he continued to strike at his opponent.

"Why aren't you giving it your all?" Grimmjow asked, genuinely curious as to why this was the case.

"Only a fool rushed in to things. But I do not expect a lowly being such as you to understand such things." Byakuya replied, making Grimmjow scoff. Said Espada halted his attacks and used sonido to put some distance between himself and Byakuya, both warriors still situated on the ground.

"Is that so? In that case, I'll show you something…" Grimmjow trailed off before bringing his right index finger up to the blade on his left forearm and cutting himself.

'_What could he be doing now?_' Byakuya wondered, seeing no reason for the action in the first place, but the sickening grin that his opponent sported told him otherwise.

A cero began to charge once Grimmjow had outstretched his hand towards Byakuya, only it was light blue and exuded large amounts of static.

"From your expression…" Grimmjow began, taking notice of Byakuya's slightly widened eyes.

"I'd say you're wondering what this is, am I right?" Grimmjow asked rhetorically, the blue cero becoming the size of his torso.

"I don't expect a weakling like you to understand this, so I'll explain, this is what real power is…" Grimmjow trailed off before uttering the final words that would cause the attack to fire.

"Bankai." Byakuya uttered, dropping his sword vertically into the ground and summoning the thousands of petals that would service as his protection.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Grimmjow roared, firing off a massive blast of blue spiritual energy at the captain.

The massive cero connected with the thousands upon thousands of petals, creating a massive explosion as a result, the likes of which could be seen from anywhere within several miles.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Renji, Shuhei, and Izuru vs. Nnoitora **_

"You three ready to die?" Nnoitora questioned, a sickening grin etched on his face as he brought his four scythes to bear.

"Don't think we'll go down without a fight, arrancar." Renji exclaimed, though he was quite worried at the moment.

Not only were they facing an Espada, they were facing an Espada who, in his unreleased form, had taken a very powerful array of attacks and come out unscathed. If the power of his current form greatly outweighed the power of his previous one, then they were in for a world of trouble.

The Septima charged his opponents with great speed, nearly too fast for any of them to react, but not quite that fast. Each of them immediately engaged their common opponent, trying to make use of any openings that were left. Sadly, none made themselves apparent.

His four arms and scythes easily allowed him to block each and every one of their attacks and subsequently made him the aggressor in the fight. Each slash, each attack made by Nnoitora, resulted in the Soul Reapers being pushed back further and further to the point that they were running out of space to run.

"Come on Soul Reapers, show me what you got." Nnoitora demanded upon pushing the Soul Reapers into a more enclosed location.

Now that they were backed up against a wall, Nnoitora only needed to choose was which of them he wanted to dispose of for a brief period of time.

"Now Roar…" Renji began, immediately alerting Nnoitora to whom he wished to attack.

Before Renji could even finish his Shikai incantation, Nnoitora brought one of his scythes to bear and delivered a horizontal slash at the red-headed lieutenant, the force of which caused said lieutenant to be forced through the wall, landing a sizeable distance away with rubble covering his body.

"Pathetic." Nnoitora spat before bringing his attention towards the other two.

First and foremost, he delivered a swift kick to Izuru's stomach and launched him a good distance away, causing him to subsequently fall to the ground and role backwards. Once this was done, he turned to Shuhei and began to bring the full force of his multiple weapons down on the unfortunate Soul Reaper.

The two began to exchange blows, though Shuhei was clearly on the defensive and suffering severely because of it. Nnoitora was currently taking advantage of the fact that Shuhei had two less weapons than he had, and as a result, with each round of attacks, Shuhei would sustain a cut or two regardless of what he chose to do given his position.

"Your scythes aren't really a match for mine, are they?" Nnoitora taunted, feeling his blades cut through flesh with each and every round of his four attacks.

'_I can't just let this patter repeat, I need to get into a better position._' Shuhei thought, but before he could even use flash step to get away, he found his weapons locked in place.

Nnoitora had used two of his scythes to prevent those of Shuhei from pulling back, though that wasn't the worst of what he had done. With the two free weapons within the upper set of his hands, Nnoitora was preparing to cut Shuhei down his torso.

All that was uttered was a quiet gasp on Shuhei's part before the Espada delivered two swift vertical slashes down the left and right side of Shuhei's body, causing blood to spill from the wounds as he flew backwards and landed on the ground.

"Shuhei!" Izuru exclaimed, raising his weapon and preparing to charge the arrancar.

However, the buzz of sonido could be heard before Izuru even had a chance to run to his comrade, subsequently after which Nnoitora appeared in front of Izuru with his four scythes sprawled out and preparing to cut across his body simultaneously.

"Too slow." Nnotiora said before bringing each of the weapons across Izuru's body. The result was two sets of cuts, one from his left shoulder to his right hip and the other from his right shoulder to his left hip.

The attack created gashes large enough to spill large amounts of blood and cause Izuru to fall backwards onto the ground, clinging to life after the abrupt attack, much like Shuhei.

"That's two down…" Nnoitora trailed off before looking back at the wall he had sent the third lieutenant through. His eyes were greeted by the sight of Renji wielding his Bankai, though after what he had seen, he wasn't worried in the least.

"You'll pay for that arrancar!" Renji exclaimed before launching his zanpakuto at the Espada.

Nnoitora made no move to escape the attacks path and simply crossed two of his scythes to block the large snake-like form of Renji's Bankai. Though he was, at first, pushed back, he quickly halted the path of the weapon.

"You know Soul Reaper, I give you credit for putting up this much of a fight. But…" Nnoitora began, bringing his other two scythes up and positioning them so as to slice through the head of Renji's Bankai.

"…you can't run from death forever." Nnoitora finished, bringing the scythes across the head of the snake-like weapon and subsequently crushing its skull.

The body of the sword remained the same, but the head and primary source of its attacks were gone, and that meant that Renji no longer had the ability to use the attacks unless he was able to regenerate it in time, but no such opportunity became apparent.

Before Renji could even register what had just happened, Nnoitora appeared in front of him via sonido, with two of his scythes in reversed position so that the tip of the weapons were pointing upwards.

A second later, the Espada stabbed Renji with the tip two of his scythes, sending them straight through his torso and, at first, allowing the pain the Soul Reaper was experiencing to register.

"With all your talk you weren't even able to make me break a sweat." Nnoitora stated, knowing that he was currently spitting on the pride of a defeated warrior.

"Kiss… my… aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Renji screamed once Nnoitora had pulled the grips of his scythes up and subsequently lifted Renji off the ground, ripping through more and more flesh given the positioning of his scythes. If Renji were lifted up in such a fashion for much longer, the blades would pierce his lungs, and then both the fight and his life would be lost.

"Just be happy I haven't killed you yet, but if you keep talking I'll just hold you up like this 'till my scythes go all the way up your body." Nnoitora stated, though Renji wasn't able to do anything else but grunt in pain.

At this point, his Bankai faded away, revealing only his standard zanpakuto to remain in existence, and this made Nnoitora frown considering he knew what that had meant.

"Are you really going to die already?" Nnoitora questioned.

"Not if we can help it…" A gruff, male voice called out from behind.

Nnoitora turned to see the forms of a relatively tall man with gray hair wearing a tank top and a short woman with green hair wearing an orange scarf and a white body suit of some kind.

"Who the hell are you?" Nnoitora grumbled, taking his scythes out of Renji's torso and allowing him to drop to the floor of the courtyard.

"I'm Mashiro!"

"Just call me Kensei, but who I am isn't important. All you need to know is that I'm gonna kick the crap out of ya." Kensei replied.

"That so?" Nnoitora questioned amusedly, hardly believing that he had heard the man correctly.

"Yeah, what of it?" Kensei retorted.

"What are you supposed to be anyway?" Nnoitora inquired, knowing full well that the two in front of him didn't appear to be regular officers.

"Well…" Kensei began, bringing his hand up to his face as he did so.

'_What is he…_' Nnoitora thought before his eyes widened in shock at the hollow mask that had now covered the man's face.

His female comrade had done the exact same thing, but the masks themselves confused Nnoitora greatly. Their spiritual energy gained a slight hollow feel, not much, but it was still present, and he could feel that their spiritual pressures had increased by a sizeable margin.

"**Ready to get started?**" Kensei asked in a warped voice, something that deeply surprised Nnoitora.

'_Those masks… are they hollows?_' Nnoitora wondered, seeing a slight resemblance. But that couldn't be the case since they appeared to be Soul Reapers without the masks. Perhaps they were some kind of hybrid between the two. However, any mental inquires on the subject were interrupted at the sound of the green-haired woman charging Nnoitora foot first in an attempt to kick him.

The Espada blocked the kick with the flat side of one of his weapons, but very quickly found the force of the kick to be much more powerful than he had expected. As a result of this, he was sent flying back, a slight boom accompanying his path upon the weapon connecting with Mashiro's feet.

"**Did I do good Kensei?**" Mashiro asked jovially, though the person whom she was addressing just scoffed before making his response.

"**Don't get cocky. He's most likely still fine.**" Kensei stated matter-of-factly, actually being correct in his assumption.

Nnoitora quickly got up from the rubble, looking as if the only thing Mashiro had accomplished was pissing him off. Here was yet another woman who seemed to think she was superior to him, and he hated that.

Needless to say, he knew who he was going to kill first.

_**Soul Society: 8**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Kyoraku vs. Starrk **_

"So this is you being serious?" Starrk asked lazily after blocking yet another strike from the captain of the eight.

"Well I wouldn't say that just yet…" Kyoraku stated before the pace of his strikes picked up the pace.

The speed and precision of the strikes was more than enough to impress Starrk, especially given that this meant he had severely underestimated the captain's full abilities. In fact, if he hadn't been on alert, his opponent could have easily inflicted a grievous wound, something that could have ended the battle.

What confused him was that he hadn't done it prior given that it was rather obvious that Starrk wasn't giving it his all at the beginning of their fight, but perhaps that was just the captain being cautions just as he was.

'_He can't have been holding back this much…_' Starrk thought, seeing that his opponent's attacks had once again become faster.

Starrk in tern opted to pick up the pace of his own attacks, trying to surpass the captains attack speed with his own, but it proved to be quite difficult given that he knew for a fact he would sustain damage if he left any openings for the smaller blade.

"Seems you're about as good with a zanpakuto as I am." Kyoraku said in an upbeat tone, seeming as if he was complimenting his opponent.

"Thanks." Starrk replied before opting to change the pattern of attacks.

The Segunda used sonido to appear up in the air directly above Kyoraku, his chest facing downward and a ball of blue spiritual energy forming at its center.

"Cero." Starrk uttered, firing off the attack without even batting an eyelash.

An explosion ensued, covering the battlefield with smoke and dust, though it became quite obvious that the attack hadn't connected with anything but rock.

Kyoraku had used flash step to appear above the ground and in the air, believing that he had obtained some time before his opponent would make another move.

'_He can fire those things pretty quick… and he doesn't even need to use a gesture._' Kyoraku thought. The closest thing he could think of would be firing some kind of Kido from your chest as a Soul Reaper, and that was impressive seeing as how no one he had ever met had such an ability.

Before he could even collect himself, Kyoraku came face to face with Starrk, a moment after which the two began to clash in the air above, sending sparks flying about with each collision of blades. Starrk abruptly used sonido to put some distance between himself and his opponent before bringing his zanpakuto back, appearing as if he was about to swing at the air in front of him.

'_What is he doing?_' Kyoraku wondered, though he quickly got his answer after the Espada had begun to rapidly swing his blade from side to side.

With each swipe of his zanpakuto, Starrk sent a flurry of blue bala at his opponent, at first catching him by surprise and forcing him to reposition himself. However, Kyoraku quickly understood what the attacks were and began to swat each of them with his own two zanpakuto, negating the effects of Starrk's attack completely.

Starrk abruptly ceased firing the attacks and used sonido to dance around Kyoraku, leaving afterimage after afterimage around the captain. As soon as the Espada began his assault from the safety of his afterimages, Kyoraku easily blocked the attacks, forcing Starrk to form a new strategy.

A moment later Starrk ceased his dance of sonido and opted to directly attack his opponent, meeting him with his own blade, but this time, he was met with something he hadn't expected.

Before his eyes the captain had employed the same strategy as Starrk had just done, only the captain was using flash step.

'_Now where is he going to attack…_' Starrk wondered, trying to sense the captain's next move. None came for several seconds, but what happened next was something that caught even him off guard.

The pink kimono his opponent had been wearing was flung at him, which he quickly slashed in half so as to prevent any inhibitions on the part of himself. However, the attack that occurred next wasn't going to be with a zanpakuto.

"Hado Number 88…" Kyoraku began, alerting Starrk to his presence directly above him.

The captain currently had his left hand outstretched and his right hand supporting it from his upper arm, aiming at Starrk, who floated in the air slightly below him.

"…Hiryugekizokushintenraiho." Kyoraku uttered, sending a colossal blast of lighting-like spiritual energy plummeting to the grounds below.

Starrk sensed how unrelenting the attack was in its path and quickly used sonido to get out of the way, but any sense of calm he may have had was erased the second after he realized where the attack was headed.

The captain likely hadn't meant to do so, but by aiming at Starrk, he inadvertently put another life in the attacks path, one who sat on the grounds below, simply observing the battle thus far.

"Lilynette!" Starrk exclaimed, seeing the massive blast rampage towards his fraccion. Overwhelmed by worry, Starrk just followed his pure instincts and used sonido to appear directly in front of Lilynette, staring down the powerful spell and preparing to destroy it.

Without even thinking, Starrk began to charge a pure white cero at the center of his chest, something that made Lilynette's eyes widen in shock.

"That's…" Lilynette began to say before being cut off in the form of the Gran Rey Cero firing from Starrk's chest and subsequently colliding with Kyoraku's kido.

The Gran Rey Cero had, at first, butted heads with the oppositional wave of energy, but soon enough it blew through it and fired of into the sky before dissipating completely.

After the attack had fired off, Starrk just stood with widened eyes, confused as to what he had just done, and Lilynette was much the same way. They were so dazed at the moment that they hadn't even seen the captain appear back into existence via flash step on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"That was impressive… mind telling me what that was?" Kyoraku asked in a cheerful fashion.

"That was a Gran Rey Cero…" Lilynette trailed off, sounding amazed. However, the fact that Starrk fired one wasn't what she was in awe over. Rather, it was the fact that his Gran Rey Cero had changed, both in appearance and the method of firing. It was exactly the same as Ichigo's, but perhaps not quite as strong, and that was unbelievably confusing.

"Gran Rey Cero?" Kyoraku questioned, wanting some clarification.

"It's a type of cero that only an Espada can use. It is one of our most powerful attacks." Starrk explained.

"You seem to act almost surprised that you did that attack just now… maybe it was because she was in danger?" Kyoraku questioned in a tone with a slight edge.

"What of it?" Starrk shot back, raising a brow upon seeing the captain smirk.

"Well it seems to me that she's important to you… if she was in any more danger, maybe you would have even released your swo…" Kyoraku said before being halted in his speech.

Faster than he had ever seen the Espada move, Kyoraku found Starrk directly in front of him, his blade raised and prepared to strike.

He almost hadn't had enough time to block the swift strike of the Espada, but barely enough time was still enough, and the two locked blades in a stalemate.

"Little protective of her are we?" Kyoraku questioned good-naturedly.

His question, however, wasn't well received. Starrk very quickly began to attack Kyoraku with everything he had, strike after strike aimed at one of his vital areas. The strength and speed of the attacks was quite frightening to say the least.

'_If I wasn't trying as much as I am, I'd be dead by now._' Kyoraku thought.

Starrk delivered one swift horizontal slash, powerful enough to cause the earth beneath their feet to shatter under the pressure, and also powerful enough to cause Kyoraku to fly backwards before he attempted to regain his balance.

Starrk would give him no such chance, however, and began to charge a blue cero at the center of his chest, aimed directly at the still flailing captain.

The doom blast fired, just about to connect with its intended target, but sadly for Starrk, the battle was going to continue.

"Bakudo Number 81, Danku." Hachi cast, saving Kyoraku from taking a direct hit from Starrk's cero.

'_What the hell?_' Starrk and Lilynette wondered simultaneously upon the cero connecting with some kind of invisible barrier.

A stout man with pink hair and a suit with a bow tie appeared to be the caster of the spell, though he simply sat above a nearby building, appearing to have no interest in fighting at the moment.

"You have some timing there my friend." Kyoraku stated jovially upon his eyes resting on Hachi.

"Think nothing of it." Hachi stated.

"You here to fight me as well?" Starrk questioned, glaring slightly at the pink-haired man.

"Fighting directly isn't my strong suit. Therefore I am simply here to make give support where I am able." Hachi replied.

Starrk really didn't mind this considering that he wasn't here to kill, but this man didn't seem to resemble a Soul Reaper, and that confused him, something he didn't take very lightly.

"What exactly are you? You're not a Soul Reaper if your looks are anything to go by, but your spiritual energy is exactly like that of a Soul Reaper, care to explain?" Starrk questioned.

"Certainly, most simply call me Hachi and I am known as a vizard. A vizard is a Soul Reaper who has obtained an inner hollow and is capable of accessing its powers…" Hachi began before bringing his hand over his face.

"…**like so.**" Hachi finished before dissipating his mask.

Starrk had slightly widened eyes at this, himself not exactly knowing what had just happened. He sensed a faint presence of hollow spiritual energy within the man once he had put on the mask, just enough to give him a significant power boosts, but not quite enough to make him some sort of an arrancar. The entire concept was baffling, but he had more important things to worry about at the moment.

"As long as you don't try and fight me directly, I won't disturb you. Interfere again, and I promise I will take you down quicker than you could even believe." Starrk warned, turning his attention back to the captain.

'_Oh my…_' Hachi thought. He had witnessed the speed that this Espada had possessed, and he knew that he was more than capable of fulfilling that promise.

"Where were we…" Starrk trailed off, turning his vision back to the captain.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ulquiorra vs. Ukitake **_

Ulquiorra and Ukitake had gotten into somewhat of a pattern, in that, each was simply blocking the rapid strikes of the other before mimicking their opponents previous action and going on the offensive, after which point, the roles would be reversed once no one had any success in their offensive.

Though the battle had become what appeared to be dead even, there was one factor that could end the fight in an instant, and Ukitake couldn't ignore that fact.

'_I need to end this soon… otherwise I may not live to see the end of this war._' Ukitake thought, trying to form his next plan of attack.

Thus far, it had become apparent that Ukitake's Shikai technique would be rendered more harmful to his barracks than to his opponent, and in terms of speed and swordsmanship, the two seemed even, despite the fact that Ukitake had just gotten used to his opponents speed.

'_If I cannot defeat him by using my zanpakuto, perhaps I can best him with kido._' Ukitake thought, seeing that as the only option he hadn't used yet.

Before a plan could fully form in Ukitake's head, his opponent had abruptly used sonido to put some distance between himself and the captain, his blade hanging at his side, and his eyes looking emotionless and calculated.

"It would appear that you are not willing to use your abilities so long as this barracks is in harm's way…" Ulquiorra began, raising his left arm and pointing the outstretched index finger of said arm at a nearby section of buildings.

The green orb of energy charging at the tip of Ulquiorra's hand gave Ukitake all the information he needed in order to discern what was about to happen. The green blast of spiritual energy fired off, destroying the entire section of buildings as Ulquiorra shifted his hand so as to cause more destruction.

Immediately after this was done, the green-eyed Espada mimicked his previous action, this time aiming for the section of buildings on his right.

'_Perhaps this is for the best…_' Ukitake thought, knowing that now he didn't need to worry about destroying his own barracks with his more powerful attacks.

Smoke and dust erupted from the destroyed structures, making the sides of the battlefield unable to be seen, but marking a clear middle section for the two warriors to charge on another.

Surprisingly, Ukitake was the first to make a move, using flash step to appear directly in front of Ulquiorra, attacking at such a speed that surprised even Ulquiorra, who found himself pressed to block the attacks.

'_These attacks are coming at a faster pace, and they appear contain more power… but what reason could he possibly have had for holding back?_' Ulquiorra wondered, sensing the clear difference in the captains attacks.

Previously, Ulquiorra had easily inflicted wounds on the captain, taking advantage of his superior abilities, or taking advantage of the captain's inferior way of thinking. Either way, it didn't make sense that his opponent had chosen now to step up his skill level.

One particularly swift strike made it impossible for Ulquiorra to block it, and therefore, he opted to use sonido to appear on the opposite side of the battlefield, believing he had avoided the danger.

When his eyes met the area he believe his opponent to be, however, the captain was nowhere to be seen, but his blades were stabbed into the ground, and that confused him greatly.

Ulquiorra abruptly felt the distinctive feel of the palm of a hand on his back, something that surprised him even further given that he knew what had happened.

"Rikujokuro." Ukitake uttered, trapping the Espada within the six rings of light.

Before Ulquiorra could even make an attempt to free himself from the spell, Ukitake used flash step to appear by his swords, his hands still raised so as to illustrate that he was about to cast yet another kido.

"Bakudo Number 79, Kuyo Shibari!" Ukitake exclaimed, subsequently after which eight black balls of spiritual energy with a purple outline encircled Ulquiorra, causing him to enter a state of temporary immobility.

'_Dammit._' Ulquiorra thought, being severely annoyed that he had allowed such a thing to happen. On top of that, he could tell the captain was not done.

He could see Ukitake outstretch the palm of his right hand and support his arm with his left hand, a clear indication that he was about to fire off an attack that would be incredibly powerful.

"I am sorry about this, Espada, but I am afraid I don't have much time." Ukitake said, causing Ulquiorra to grow confused.

"Hado Number 88…" Ukitake began.

The ball of lighting-like spiritual energy had started to form in the palm of his outstretched hand, but then, the predictable happened. In his moment of necessity, his body failed him. Ukitake began to cough sporadically, covering his mouth and catching light amounts of blood.

The resulting loss of his concentration shattered both of the kido spells that bound Ulquiorra, allowing the Espada to once again roam freely.

'_So this is why he did not use the full extent of his abilities._' Ulquiorra thought. He had been curious as to why the captain appeared more desperate as well, and he now knew why this was the case.

"Da *cough* dammit *cough*!" Ukitake exclaimed, falling to the ground on his knees due to the pain that resulted from his illness.

The abruptness of the coughing fit made him momentarily forget about his opponent, though after approaching footsteps could be heard, he quickly remembered.

'_It can't end like this… I… I refuse to allow that to happen._' Ukitake thought, trying to defy his own illness by making the attempt to get up.

"You may rest, captain." Ulquiorra stated, coming to a stop over his opponent's struggling body.

"*cough* What?" Ukitake questioned, not believing he heard correctly.

"This fight has ended, therefore you may rest." Ulquiorra replied, though Ukitake believed that he had been referring to the peace of death.

"Now, now, I wouldn't really want you to up and end his life." A jovial voice called out from behind Ulquiorra, bringing the vision of the Espada to said person.

"Kisuke Urahara I presume." Ulquiorra stated, knowing full well who the person in front of him was.

"Now I don't think that's fair. You seem to know who I am, but I still don't know who you are." Urahara replied, getting no reaction out of the stoic Espada.

"It would appear that you Soul Reapers haven't the slightest clue as to whom or what you are facing. I would assume that at this very moment, you don't even know if you have met an Espada." Ulquiorra stated, prompting Urahara to raise a brow at the correct statement.

"If that is indeed the case, allow me to enlighten you. I am Ulquiorra Cifer, Cuarto Espada." Ulquiorra stated, holding up his hand for emphasis.

"I had assumed that the Espada were here given the fact that the captains and lieutenants were having a hard time, but I should at least thank you for telling me your rank." Urahara replied in an upbeat tone.

"That information does you little good. Even if by some miracle you were to defeat me in battle, there are three others stronger than I." Ulquiorra pointed out.

"So the top three are here as well?" Urahara questioned.

"Once more, that information does you little good. If anything, knowing such things only decreases your confidence should you fail to defeat me." Ulquiorra replied, making Urahara drop his grin for a moment.

"I take it you are here to support this captain… Ukitake I believe his name was." Ulquiorra thought aloud, eliciting a nod from Urahara.

"Yes, indeed I…" Urahara said before the appearance of another caused him to stop his sentence.

'_Who is she?_' Ulquiorra wondered. At first he checked to see if it was indeed the woman he was supposed to be looking for, but he quickly threw that idea out of his mind.

This woman had black hair, a white captain's haori, and wore her zanpakuto in the form of a strap that held up her sheathe. The symbol on her clothing made her out to be a member of squad four, which meant that she was a medic.

"I apologize for interrupting you two, but I am here to give this captain medical attention." Unohana stated, looking at Urahara with a sense of urgency.

"It's alright, I'll hold him off until you can get him out of here." Urahara stated in reassurance, though Ulquiorra spoke before Unohana could utter another word.

"If I had wanted to kill him, I would have done so the moment he was incapacitated. If you so wish to take him to your medical division, I will not stand in your way." Ulquiorra stated, confusing both Unohana and Urahara, though neither even gave a thought about complaining.

"Then I thank you." Unohana stated respectfully before walking towards the Espada, who still stood in front of Ukitake's, now unconscious, body.

'_Jushiro, you really ought to be more careful._' Unohana thought, frowning at the sight of her friend in such a condition.

Urahara watched warily as Unohana walked passed Ulquiorra, his blade ready in case this had been a trap, but a sense of relief washed over him the second that the medic had picked Ukitake up and used flash step to leave the area.

"From your body language I would say you didn't expect me to actually keep my word." Ulquiorra stated, knowing full well this was the case.

"I may as well correct your thinking and explain that lying is beneath me. However, since you now know this to be true, I wish to inform you that this fight will by no means be easy." Ulquiorra stated, raising his blade at Urahara.

'_This one is going to be a dangerous opponent._' Urahara thought, readying himself for battle.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd**__** Division's Barracks, Soifon vs. Wonderweiss **_

"Ooooh…" Wonderweiss moaned out, looking directly at the captain who had proven to be a severe annoyance.

The two didn't make a move, both just stared at one another, though it became clear that one of them was simply biding time in an attempt to come up with a plan.

"Bakudo Number 30…" Soifon began, drawing a triangle of out of golden kido in front of herself.

"…Shitotsu Sansen." Soifon uttered, firing off three solidified triangles at Wonderweiss. The child-like arrancar just stood in place and allowed the Bakudo spell to hit him and subsequently pin him on a nearby wall of debris that had resulted from one of his own previous attacks.

Soifon, however, wasn't done with her attack just yet, and outstretched her right hand, clearly about to cast another spell.

"Hado Number 63, Raikoho!" Soifon roared, sending a large blast of golden spiritual energy directly at the seemingly immobile arrancar.

Wonderweiss simply opened his mouth and charged a purple cero, aiming directly at the wave of golden energy that was raging towards him. The cero fired off a second later, immediately halting the kido and causing both of the attacks to detonate upon making contact with the other.

Smoke made the area around Wonderweiss unable to be seen, therefore Soifon hadn't known what had happened, but as she looked into the smoke, she quickly discovered what the arrancar had chosen to do next.

Another large wave of purple spiritual energy fired out of the smoke, this time at too fast a pace for Soifon to dodge, luckily for her, she didn't have to do so.

Before her very eyes, her former mentor and mother-like figure appeared, flashing into existence and staring down the cero that had been so quickly fired off.

"Bakudo Number 81, Danku." Yoruichi uttered, instantly creating a barrier that blocked the force of the cero.

"Lady Yoruichi…" Soifon trailed off, sounding disappointed.

'_How could I have needed her to intervene like this?_' Soifon thought, ashamed that such a thing occurred.

"Don't be upset Soifon, not even I can go against any opponent by myself and come out on top. But if you can't win alone, you have others to fall back on. This is just one of the things that you need to learn in order to fight effectively." Yoruichi stated, eliciting a nod from Soifon as a sign that she had understood.

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi." Sofion replied, hanging her head slightly.

"So what's the deal with this one?" Yoruichi questioned, eyeing the child-like arrancar in front of her. The innocent look he had made him seem as if he hadn't the slightest clue what was going on, but if he could take on Soifon without receiving any damage so far, then he must be strong.

"I do not know his number or classification as an arrancar, but he has high spiritual energy, durable skin, and calls himself Wonderweiss." Soifon answered.

"Do you think we could get any information out of him?" Yoruichi questioned, causing Soifon to shake her head.

"I do not believe so. He doesn't seem to be capable of speech and therefore I believe it best to simply dispose of him." Soifon replied.

"Ohhhh?" Wonderweiss moaned out, sounding confused. He was currently staring at the woman who had just entered the battlefield, tilting his head to illustrate that he seemed to be thinking about something.

Everything about her seemed familiar, the purple hair, the orange shirt, the ponytail, all of these things matched the description that was given for the person he was supposed to be looking for. But he recalled hearing something about her being able to fight off an Espada class opponent with her bare hands, and so, he decided to test her so that he knew he wasn't just calling out a false alarm.

"Ready Soifon?" Yoruichi questioned, prompting the squad two captain to nod in response.

"Let's go." Yoruichi stated, lunging at the arrancar with impressive speeds.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs. Kenpachi **_

"You know…" Kenpachi began as the two came to a stalemate.

"…the fact that you're making this such a good fight just has me even more curious about your Resurrección." Kenpachi continued.

"**I told you already, you likely won't see it.**" Ichigo replied, though Kenpachi's grin simply increased in size at his words. The captain's spiritual pressure began to rise at a rapid rate as his other hand came up to his sword, and Ichigo knew exactly what that meant.

"Then I guess I'll just have to force it out." Kenpachi mused, his other hand now mere inches away from the grip of his zanpakuto.

In response, Ichigo flared his spiritual pressure as well, increasing it as he too brought his other hand up to his sword, mimicking the action of Kenpachi.

Both hands connected at the same time, subsequently after which the very ground began to shake beneath their feet, responding to the incredible amount of energy the two fighters were outputting.

"Impressive, not many people can claim to hold a sword to me when I use both hands." Kenpachi complimented, applying more pressure and exuding more spiritual energy.

"**Thanks, but I guess I should say the same.**" Ichigo replied, himself increasing the spiritual energy he was outputting as well as the pressure he applied to his own zanpakuto.

Second by second, each warrior poured out more energy until the point that a colossal ball of yellow and dark crimson spiritual energy surrounded the two, firing off a beam into the sky the same color as the two barriers. They now stood at the center of a of the spires energy, neither giving up an inch to their opponent.

_**Soul Society: Squad 2 Barracks, Soifon and Yoruichi vs. Wonderweiss**_

Wonderweiss caught the blade of the raven-haired captain with his right hand, saving himself the trouble of flushing his body with spiritual energy to rid himself of the markings. He, however, made the mistake of trying to catch the fist of the purple-haired woman who had entered the battle, and paid dearly for it.

Once the fist of Yoruichi connected to his hand, Wonderweiss was sent flying backwards into the pile of debris he had previously been pinned to. Before he could even bat an eyelash, the woman was charging him again and at speeds that made Wonderweiss widen his eyes out of shock.

He did, however, have a brief opening to use sonido and gladly took it. Once he appeared into existence again, he took note that the debris that had been around him became nothing more than a small crater due to the impact of Yoruichi's fist.

The very sight made him confused as even he couldn't do something like that barehanded. However, his thoughts were cut short once he sensed that his other opponent had used flash step to appear in front of him, though her spiritual energy was quite different.

He turned to see that the woman had a white aura surrounding her, and in response, Wonderweiss opened his mouth and fired off a powerful cero directly at the captain at point blank range.

To his surprise, the captain blocked the attack by simply outstretching the tip of her zanpakuto and allowing Wonderweiss to fire off the cero in its entirety.

Once the cero had finished discharging, Wonderweiss was smart enough to use sonido to get out of the way, sensing that the captain could now easily cut him if he gave her that opportunity.

Once he had landed however, he heard the characteristic sound of a flash step being used, and, before he knew it, the purple-haired woman was directly above him with her foot raised into the air. A moment later said foot was brought down on Wonderweiss's shoulder, the result of which was a large bruise quickly forming on the point of impact.

Before the woman could attack him again, Wonderweiss grabbed her other foot and threw her into a nearby pile of debris.

She, however, used her feet to create a launching point from the side of the debris, and was quickly charging at him again. From behind him, Soifon appeared, no longer glowing white, but clearly intent on hitting him with her Shikai, which was something that Wonderweiss couldn't really allow given the fact that if he got hit twice in the same spot, he knew something bad would happen.

Therefore, he opted to use sonido to appear in the air above, simply eyeing the two as they stopped dead in their tracks to stare up at him.

The force with which the purple-haired woman was capable of attacking gave Wonderweiss the inclination that she was indeed the one they were here to find, and all that he needed to do now, was tell Ichigo.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs Kenpachi **_

"Come on Espada! I know you can do better than that!" Kenpachi roared from within the vortex of spiritual energy he and Ichigo were currently creating with their raw spiritual energy.

"**You really want me to go all out? Fine, but you'd better give it your all as well!**" Ichigo replied before bringing a torrent of his own spiritual energy forth, something that Kenpachi mimicked the second he felt the power of his opponent increase.

Not even a minute passed before one large explosion erupted from the vortex of energy erupted, absolutely decimating the buildings nearby but leaving the ground still intact due to the path of the energy.

At the epicenter of the explosion, Kenpachi and Ichigo still stood with their blades locked in a stalemate, each having their hands still attached to their zanpakuto, though neither of them applied nearly as much pressure as they had previously.

Kenpachi didn't say a word, simply allowing the large grin on his face to illustrate his level of enjoyment.

'_**Oooooooh…**_' Wonderweiss moaned out through their telepathic link. The fact that Wonderweiss had chosen to do so confused Ichigo to a degree, especially since Wonderweiss rarely said anything in general.

'_**Yes Wonderweiss?**_' Ichigo inquired, believing that the arrancar had something to say.

'_**Ohhhhh!**_' Wonderweiss moaned once more, sounding more urgent as if to convey something of importance.

'_**AWWWW!**_' Wonderweiss nearly shouted, giving Ichigo a clear sign that he needed to say something but clearly couldn't due to his disposition.

'_Wait… there is only one reason why Wonderweiss would deliberately use the link, and he sounds like he's trying to say something important._' Ichigo thought, allowing the outward stalemate he had with Kenpachi continue.

'_**Wonderweiss, did you find her?**_' Ichigo questioned, looking for any kind of answer that the child-like arrancar could give him.

'_**OOOOOOH!**_' Wonderweiss replied, giving Ichigo a clear affirmative, or at least, he hoped it was.

'_Finally someone's found her, but I need to get there quickly._' Ichigo thought, wanting to wrap up the mission as quickly as possible.

'_**I'll be right there Wonderweiss.**_' Ichigo stated before he brought his attention back to his opponent.

"**Sorry about this…**" Ichigo trailed off, confusing Kenpachi greatly.

'_What could he…_' Kenpachi thought before getting his answer a moment later.

Ichigo broke the stalemate with a powerful slash of his blade, so abrupt and powerful, in fact, that it caused Kenpachi to stumble backwards slightly and lose his balance.

In the brief period of time that his occurred, Ichigo opted to end the fight as best as he knew how without injuring Kenpachi to a large degree.

Kenpachi's eyes widened once he saw an orb of crimson energy charging at the dead center of his opponent's chest, now knowing that the fight would end in a lackluster fashion.

"Damn." Kenpachi said, realizing that this would undoubtedly hit him no matter what he did.

"Cero." Ichigo uttered, firing off the crimson ball of energy and subsequently consuming Kenpachi with the devastating attack.

When the attack faded, Kenpachi was revealed to have been launched into the remnants nearby building, the debris of which currently surrounded him. His captain's haori was completely destroyed as was his Soul Reaper uniform. His body was covered with light burns and he was currently unconscious but other than that the attack hadn't added to the cuts Ichigo had inflicted earlier.

'_To take the full power of my cero at that close of a range…_' Ichigo thought, knowing full well that any normal Soul Reaper would have just disintegrated.

Though he felt bad about using the full force of his cero at such a close range, he took comfort in the fact that it had done what he intended, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

'_**Wonderweiss, I will be there in a…**_' Ichigo began to say before he was outwardly cut off by another man entering the area.

"Well, well, well, that was a powerful cero, arrancar…"A male's voice stated from across the battlefield.

"…but don't think that you're done here just yet." Shinji finished, smirking at the hooded arrancar in front of him.

Ichigo immediately turned his vision to the man and noticed that he wasn't alone. With him was a short blond girl with brown eyes and red jacket of some kind. The man himself was fairly tall, had blond hair, and wore a long sleeved orange business shirt with a black tie.

The very sight of them was immediately something that made Ichigo believe he knew them and a moment later he was proven correct.

'_Shinji and Hiyori…_' Ichigo thought, recalling the encounters he had had with the vizards. What's worse, he remembered their 'special' ability which involved a hollow mask. Though he didn't know the entire dynamic, he knew that they were strong, and if they were here, perhaps the other vizards were as well, and that was most certainly not good.

'_**Scratch that Wonderweiss, hold her at bay until I tell you I can come to your position. Above all else, do not hurt her, okay?**_' Ichigo questioned.

'_**Ohhhh.**_' Wonderweiss replied, seemingly out of understanding.

"So I take it you're the big dumb ass that was exuding all that spirit energy?" Hiyori questioned, making it sound as if it were an insult.

"**Yeah pintsize, that was me.**" Ichigo replied. Shinji had to slap his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh upon hearing the arrancar insult Hiyori.

"WHAT'D YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Hiyori shouted, a tick mark appearing on her head.

"**I called you pintsize. If you don't understand why I did, it's because you're short.**" Ichigo replied, smirking under his mask upon seeing Shinji hold Hiyori back.

"Calm down Hiyor…" Shinji said before a swift punch to his nose caused him to fall back and drop Hiyori.

"Whose side are you on?" Hiyori questioned angrily, though Shinji only held his now bleeding nose.

"**Sorry you two, but I don't have time to waste.**" Ichigo said, pointing his blade at both of the former Soul Reapers.

"You think you can take us then?" Hiyori asked amusedly.

"**I don't think, I know, and those masks of yours won't help.**" Ichigo stated, causing both Hiyori and Shinji to widen their eyes in shock.

"How the hell did you know about that? Did Aizen tell you?" Shinji questioned, glaring slightly at the hooded arrancar.

'_I've really got to stop doing that…_' Ichigo thought, this being the second time he had done such a thing since he entered the Soul Society.

"**Yes, of course he did. It's just like I told that captain over there, why would he send the Espada to the Soul Society without any information about what we'd be up against?**" Ichigo asked rhetorically. At his words, Hiyori's scowl deepened and Shinji began to frown.

Now they knew, if they didn't before, that the arrancar present were in the Espada, and one of them was going to be their opponent.

"Don't hold back on this one Hiyori, if he's an Espada, don't let your guard down for even a second." Shinji warned, drawing his zanpakuto.

"You don't have to tell me what I already know." Hiyori replied before she too unsheathed her zanpakuto.

"**If you two are ready, we can get this started.**" Ichigo stated before lunging at his opponents.

**A/N Well, here you go, and I have some relatively unfortunate news, in that, you likely won't like it. I have an exam next Tuesday and therefore will likely not be able to write too, too much within the next few days. Because of this, the next chapter will likely be posted on Friday, it may be posted on Monday, and if this is the case, I will be posting two chapters next week, but if this is not the case, the only chapter that will be posted next week will be on Monday. **

_**Explanations**_:

**Ukitake vs. Ulquiorra**: A lot of people seemed to want to know why I had this fight go the way it did, and the reason is simple. I can't really have Ukitake go all out vs. Ulquiorra because he doesn't seem like the type to not care about blowing up his barracks. After Ulquiorra blew it up for him, he at least knew it wasn't entirely his doing and that allowed him to try. He, however, is also on a clock and I assume that giving a fight his all just speeds up the illness or something along those lines. In general, Ukitake is stronger than Ulquiorra when Ulquiorra isn't in his released state, and is likely still slightly stronger when Ulquiorra releases his blade, but the Segunda Etapa, that makes him stronger unless Ukitake uses his Bankai, which is something I still have never seen, though it has been referred to as incredibly powerful.

**Ichigo's Memory**: Okay, so what happens with this will be revealed in the near-ish future, but in general, his memory has been completely restored and his attitudes and personality with it.

**Ichigo vs. Kenpachi**: Just in case anyone was wondering, Kenpachi took the full force of Ichigo's cero at a distance from which would likely kill anyone who wasn't as strong, if not stronger, than Kenpachi. The reason it happened, it took him entirely by surprise because Kenpachi is just the type of warrior that can really take anything if he sees it coming, but things he's not prepared for, those things tend to get him, as it were.

_**Reviews**_:

**darkmachines**: Thanks! Also, vizards fights are next chapter, and Nnoitora is just showing off, but I needed an excuse to get him to release before Kensei showed up and I figured that this was a good way to do it. I thought about Love, and then was like, that's too obvious because Love is freakishly strong and Nnoitora has durable hierro, so I went with Kensei and Mashiro. Also, no, she won't be knocked out.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Thanks! Also, sadly, no more Kenpachi vs. Ichigo…Off topic, nice portrait!

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks for the compliment, and the part where the three woman get to be in the same room is coming up within two chapters, likely just two away.

**IchiFell**: Fixed it as per request, also thanks, I don't know why I did that, but thanks for pointing it out.

**VicRB**: Glad to hear I did a good job with them. None of them will ask, they all just assumed, up unitl this point, that they were the only one… and that is why Ichigo won't have a good time when he gets back to Las Noches, for more reason than one, but still. Also, the name of that attack and what it does is two chapters from now.

**Gunbladez**: Thanks and no problem!

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Well… Byakuya wasn't able to kill Ichigo with his Bankai when he caught him in the petals and it was pretty clear that Grimmjow was slightly stronger than Ichigo was even when he was using Bankai in the show, therefore, I assume that Byakuya and Grimmjow are of even-ish strength, even though I give an edge to Byakuya.

**FinalDemon**: I don't really know the answer to that xD.

**Megadeth**: Glad to hear it! Good idea, but that's not how they find out he is alive. Yeah, a lot of people seem to have doubts about that, but I guess the only thing I can say is that Ukitake was holding back for a reason. I know Ukitake is stronger than Ulquiorra, but when he isn't using his abilities, obviously Ulquiorra has an edge. No, Ichigo won't become a dual wielder, at least, not in this story. Also, thanks for the compliment!

**hornet07**: The progress really happened this chapter with his memories becoming complete again. The countdown is now one, and the "nitpicks" as you called them, were all addressed and I thank you for pointing out my errors.

**friaku**: Thanks!

**Universal Public Cockblocker**: Thanks! I also think that fights coming down to pure strength isn't exactly how it should go, that is, after all, why Yamamoto lost to Aizen, simply superior planning on Aizen's part. It's not too bad, but after this chapter, I am getting tired of writing nothing but fight scenes, luckily for me, that ends after next chapter for a bit.

**Hollow king 13**: Not really, but then again, nothing is said in stone.

**Akuma-Heika**: Natural arrancars don't exist to my knowledge. Any arrancar that was created was created by Aizen through the use of the Hogyoku, I could be wrong, but that has been my understanding of the arrancar.

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, also I assume you mean it the other way around, and yes, that is the reason.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks!

**Digitize27**: Glad to hear I am doing that right, also you will know it immediately after I write the next chapter.

**Thornsword**: Okay…

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks!

**LonelyHollow117**: Indeed they do, glad to hear you like them and think I write them well, Soifon vs. Wonderweiss is indeed difficult, but not impossible, and thanks!

**Namz89**: Thanks!

**BleachFan21**: Thanks and I will!


	34. Departure

**A/N Here is Chapter 34 and unfortunately it was delayed to Friday because of my exam, but I decided to make it longer. In fact, it is officially the longest chapter in the entire story as of this posting, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 34**

'_Shinji and Hiyori…_' Ichigo thought, recalling the encounters he had had with the vizards. What's worse, he remembered their 'special' ability which involved a hollow mask. Though he didn't know the entire dynamic, he knew that they were strong, and if they were here, perhaps the other vizards were as well, and that was most certainly not good.

'_**Scratch that Wonderweiss, hold them at bay until I tell you I can come to your position. Above all else, do not hurt her, okay?**_' Ichigo questioned.

'_**Ohhhh.**_' Wonderweiss replied, seemingly out of understanding.

"So I take it you're the big dumb ass that was exuding all that spirit energy?" Hiyori questioned, making it sound as if it were an insult.

"**Yeah pintsize, that was me.**" Ichigo replied. Shinji had to slap his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh upon hearing the arrancar insult Hiyori.

"WHAT'D YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Hiyori shouted, a tick mark appearing on her head.

"**I called you pintsize. If you don't understand why it's because your short.**" Ichigo replied, smirking under his mask upon seeing Shinji hold Hiyori back.

"Calm down Hiyor…" Shinji said before a swift punch to his nose caused him to fall back and drop Hiyori.

"Whose side are you on?" Hiyori questioned angrily, though Shinji only held his now bleeding nose.

"**Sorry you two, but I don't have time to waste.**" Ichigo said, pointing his blade at both of the former Soul Reapers.

"You think you can take us then?" Hiyori asked amusedly.

"**I don't think, I know, and those masks of yours won't help.**" Ichigo stated, causing both Hiyori and Shinji to widen their eyes in shock.

"How the hell did you know about that? Did Aizen tell you?" Shinji questioned, glaring slightly at the hooded arrancar.

'_I've really got to stop doing that…_' Ichigo thought, this being the second time he had done such a thing since he entered the Soul Society.

"**Yes, of course he did. It's just like I told that captain over there, why would he send the Espada to the Soul Society without any information about what we'd be up against?**" Ichigo asked rhetorically. At his words, Hiyori's scowl deepened and Shinji began to frown.

Now they knew, if they didn't before, that the arrancar present were members of the Espada, and one of them was going to be their opponent.

"Don't hold back on this one Hiyori, if he's an Espada, don't let your guard down for even a second." Shinji warned, drawing his zanpakuto.

"You don't have to tell me what I already know." Hiyori replied before she too unsheathed her zanpakuto.

"**If you two are ready, we can get this started.**" Ichigo stated before lunging at his opponents.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Nel and Halibel vs. Love and Rose **_

An abrupt explosion of spiritual energy somewhere off in the Soul Society caused all four warriors to pause and gaze upon the beam of crimson and yellow spiritual energy that shot into the sky.

'_That is definitely coming from where Ichigo is fighting._' Halibel and Nel thought similarly.

"What is that monstrous spiritual pressure?" Rose exclaimed.

"I don't know, but whoever is giving off that much if it has gotta be…" Love said before he was cut off in the form of a colossal gust of wind that erupted once the beam of energy had vanished.

"From such a distance?" Rose exclaimed, though Love only chuckled at his words.

"From what I remember about the locations of the barracks, that looked like it came from squad 11. I'd guess the captain was enjoying the fight a bit much." Love reasoned before turning back to the female arrancar, still having his blade drawn.

"Do you think after that his fight has ended?" Rose questioned, himself turning back to face the two arrancar.

"His battle is over, but he has lost…" Halibel replied, having gotten the inclination that this was the case from Ichigo via the telepathic link.

"How could you possibly know that?" Rose asked in an amused tone.

"Because we know who it was that the captain was fighting." Nel replied emotionlessly, causing Rose and Love to glare lightly at their opponents.

"Hey Rose, Shinji and Hiyori went over to squad eleven, right?" Love asked, simply wanting clarification.

"Yes…" Rose trailed off, tightening his grip on his zanpakuto as he knew full well what Love was about to say.

"Then let's finish this quickly… just in case." Love stated, causing Rose to smirk.

"You believe you can defeat us so easily? Don't be so confident." Halibel chided, glaring at the two vizards.

A moment later, Halibel turned to Nel, who gave her a curt nod as a sign that she knew what to do. After this had happened, both Espada had disappeared via sonido, only to reappear directly in front of their opponents.

Halibel appeared in front of Love with her sword cocked back and glowing yellow, a clear sign that she intended to draw a quick first blood in this fight.

Nel had appeared in front of Rose, only she hadn't chosen to use her zanpakuto as her method of attack, rather, she had her left fist cocked back and her right hand still placed on the hilt of her zanpakuto.

The two attack patterns hit simultaneously, with Love blocking Halibel's strike with his own sword, and Rose simply jumping backwards to dodge Nel's fist.

Love quickly found himself being pushed back with each of the swift attacks Halibel mounted with her glowing blade and opted to use flash step in order to appear in the skies above, hoping to get some kind of an advantage before he continued to fight.

Rose had little more luck than his comrade. As soon as Nel's fist had connected with the ground, a sizeable hole could be seen, causing Rose's eyes to widen, though he quickly recovered from his shock upon seeing the green-haired arrancar charge him, this time using her zanpakuto.

"Nice try." Halibel stated, launching a yellow bullet of spiritual energy straight towards Love, who used flash step once more to dodge the attack.

"What the hell?" Love exclaimed, seeing yet another of the attacks firing towards him the second he came out of his flash step.

This pattern continued, Halibel firing off a slew of the attacks and Love dodging them by using flash step in rapid succession.

Deciding to be the one to break the pattern, Halibel used sonido to enter the skies, appearing directly across from Love with her blade poised to enter yet another sword bout.

On the grounds below, Rose and Nel clashed with their zanpakuto, proving to be an even match with a blade.

"You're quite good with a zanpakuto." Rose commented, blocking yet another strike from the green-haired Espada.

"I wish I could say the same." Nel replied, smirking slightly upon seeing her opponent frown.

"Meaning?" Rose inquired, somewhat upset that he had just been insulted.

"You're fighting style is too static, if I were to move out of my current pattern, you wouldn't be able to adapt." Nel stated before proving her point a second later.

The green-haired beauty to appear behind rose by using sonido, delivering a swift vertical slash which was aimed at Rose's head. The vizard blocked the strike by holding up his zanpakuto horizontally above his head, successfully catching Nel's blade with his own, but simultaneously leaving his torso wide opened.

He quickly realized his mistake upon seeing that his opponent only had one hand on her sword, and the other balled into a fist which was prepared to deliver a swift punch to his abdomen, and it did just that.

"Gah." Rose grunted, the punch sending him recoiling backwards.

Nel used this moment to her advantage and lunged at Rose, aiming for his left arm with her blade.

The blond-haired vizard blocked the strike from piercing his flesh, but the blade itself grazed his black coat. Before he could even reposition himself however, Nel delivered a kick to his abdomen, sending him backwards yet again, though this time, we was in absolutely no position to defend himself and was currently lying on the ground.

'_She doesn't look like it, but her physical strength is monstrous._' Rose thought, feeling his abdomen tighten due to the abrupt shot of pain.

"That was what I was referring to, you ca…" Nel said before she was cut off in the form of her opponent mounting a counter offensive.

Rose had used flash step to appear above Nel, his blade cocked back and prepared to cut her across her left shoulder.

Acting as if she had seen the move coming a mile away, Nel simply raised her left hand and caught the zanpakuto that had been aimed at her shoulder.

'_What?_' Rose thought out of disbelief before feeling the cold steel of a zanpkauto pierce his flesh. Nel had opted to use the opening her opponent had left and delivered a slash across the left side of Rose's body. The wound itself wasn't deep, but all the same the fact that she drew first blood wasn't how he had thought this fight would play out.

'_Dammit._' Rose thought before using flash step to appear across the battlefield.

'_I need to figure out her point of weakness. After I can accomplish that, I can then use my full power to catch her off guard and easily defeat her._' Rose thought.

A moment later, a loud thud broke him out of his thoughts, which prompted Rose to turn so as to face the source of the noise.

"Don't mind me, just thought I drop by." Love joked, getting up from the ground and dusting himself off.

"It isn't dropping by when you were pummeled into the ground." Rose pointed out, eliciting a slight chuckle from his comrade.

"The two are strong, that much is true. We need to tag team them because otherwise we won't be able to last without revealing our full power too quickly." Love stated, eliciting a nod of understanding from Rose.

The two knew for a fact that if they brought out their full power they could easily force the two Espada to release, but that would likely result in a battle that would practically destroy the entirety of the squad ten barracks, and that was a problem.

"Deciding to fight together?" Nel questioned, subsequently after which Halibel appeared alongside her in the buzz of sonido.

"Don't really see how we've got much of a choice." Love mused before stepping forward.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Grimmjow vs. Byakuya**_

The wild explosion that resulted from the Gran Rey Cero eventually calmed, revealing both fighters to be standing across from one another. Byakuya had sustained some damage after the Grimmjow's offensive, being the first he had taken in the entirety of the fight. He had underestimated the power of the attack, and it cost him.

Currently, his clothes were slightly burned, as was the left side of his neck. Overall his injuries were minor, but the greatest injury came to his pride.

"Looks like pineapple head is near death." Grimmjow abruptly stated, sensing the falling spiritual presence of his opponent's lieutenant.

At this Byakuya didn't even flinch, he could sense that all three of the lieutenants were indeed in need of medical help, but they would live all the same. However, he could sense that two of the vizards had entered the battlefield, and for that, he inwardly thanked them due to the fact that they likely saved the life of his own lieutenants as well as that of two others.

"If you are making an attempt to goad me into attacking, you should know I have more composure that." Byakuya stated before bringing his hands up and summoning a massive wave of petals to swarm around himself.

"God you're a pain in the ass." Grimmjow said before lunging at his opponent at incredible speeds.

Byakuya simply willed the petals to swarm the air in front of him, blocking Grimmjow's avenue of attack, but that didn't even seem to deter the bloodthirsty arrancar.

In response, Grimmjow used sonido to appear behind both his opponent and the barrier of petals, prepared to swiftly deliver a wound with his own blades.

He however, had fallen into a trap, which was evident by what happened next.

Byakuya used flash step to dodge the attack Grimmjow had sent his way, disappearing from the vision of the arrancar. However, his petals then began to fly backwards and create somewhat of a tunnel around the Espada while leaving an opening on the opposite side of Grimmjow's current location.

Grimmjow turned his sights to the area the tunnel seemed to lead towards, but when his eyes finally settled on the opening, he saw Byakuya standing directly at the center of the opening with his right arm outstretched and his left arm supporting his right.

"Hado Number 88…" Byakuya began, prompting Grimmjow's eyes to widen slightly. As quickly as he was able, the Espada pricked his left finger with one of his blades and outstretched it towards Byakuya, trying to charge the cero in time to deflect the oncoming attack.

"Hiryugekizokushintenraiho." Byakuya cast, firing off a massive wave of thunder-like energy directly at the Espada.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Grimmjow shouted, firing off his own attack when the kido spell was slightly more than half way towards him.

The resulting blast from the two spells very quickly destroyed the tunnel of innumerable blades and crated a large explosion that caused smoke and dust to spread out onto the battlefield, which made in unable to be seen by both opponents.

The smoke cleared, though this time it was Grimmjow who had sustained the damage instead of Byakuya.

Grimmjow currently had several minor injuries, most of which were simple burns on his torso that resulted from taking damage due to the explosion.

'_His offensive capabilities are clearly his most dangerous attribute. Since this is the case, perhaps my Bankai is not the best avenue with which to defeat him._' Byakuya thought, summoning his regular zanpakuto once more.

"Tired of using you're…" Grimmjow said before his opponent using flash step caused him to stop midsentence.

Byakuya appeared in front of the Espada and began to clash with him repeatedly, matching the arrancar blow for blow each and every time he brought his forearms across Byakuya's body in an attempt to inflict damage.

Sparks began to fly through the air due to the speed with which the two fighters were attacking each other.

Being the first to break the pattern of sword strikes, Byakuya stepped back slightly so as to dodge one of Grimmjow's attacks, but he then opted to wordlessly shift his sword into its Shikai state and send his petals shooting towards Grimmjow.

Not having expected the move, Grimmjow brought his hand over his eye to prevent any injury that would prove to be long term, but the tiny swords seemed to just graze by him, leaving only small cuts as opposed to swarming around him and doing so repeatedly.

It was at this point he heard the sound of flash step being used, but it was too late for him to react. Byakuya had appeared behind him and summoned his standard zanpakuto before delivering a slash across Grimmjow's back and drawing a descent amount of blood.

'_Damn_.' Grimmjow thought before turning around and rapidly striking at the captain.

The attack was blocked, but Grimmjow then opted to outstretch his left hand towards the captain, a sign that he was going to attempt to fire off a cero. But before the crimson energy could even be seen forming in the palm of his opponents hand, Byakuya used flash step to disappear from sight.

"Predictable." Grimmjow stated, smirking as he pointed the elbow of his left arm towards the spot he knew Byakuya would appear. He then launched five green, crystalline stone darts at the spot from his elbow, aimed directly at the area the captain had now appeared.

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly and he then used flash step once more, only this time to actually dodge an attack he knew to be heading towards him. This time when he came back into sight, however, Grimmjow was there once more slashing and lunging at the captain with animosity that he had never before witnessed.

Each of his strikes was parried, but at one key instance, Grimmjow did something that Byakuya hadn't expected and delivered a kick to his stomach, the result of which was for Byakuya to recoil slightly and drop his stance.

Grimmjow then took the opening, but failed to inflict any damage as Byakuya, who, barely, blocked the strike before opting to counterattack.

"Give up yet Soul Reaper?" Grimmjow taunted upon the two once more locking blades.

"Do not speak as if you have already won, this battle is far from over and the end result has yet to change." Byakuya replied.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Kensei and Mashiro vs. Nnoitora **_

The four-armed Espada emerged from the hole he had been sent through, eyeing his new opponents once more and debating his next course of action.

The woman hit hard, but not hard enough to do any damage to him when he was in his Resurrección form. The man on the other hand, hadn't shown him what he was capable of, and that mask the two were still wearing made him wary.

'_I need to figure out what the other one is capable of before I take down the female, that way I know how to deal with him charging me after I kill her._' Nnoitora thought before using sonido a second later to appear in front of his opponents.

He abruptly began to hack and slash at the man who had joined the fight, but whenever Nnoitora would attack, he would just move backwards and dodge.

"**Come on Espada, you can do better than that.**" Kensei taunted, only causing Nnoitora to growl lightly and pick up the pace of his attacks.

"**Come on Kensei, let Mashiro have some fun!**" Mashiro chirped before using flash step to appear directly above the arrancar.

She then delivered a kick to his jaw, something that was powerful enough to send him recoiling before he then turned his rage towards the green-haired woman.

"You little brat!" Nnoitora exclaimed, though Mashiro just giggled slightly in response.

Nnoitora began to chop at his opponent, though the hakuda expert seemed to nimbly dodge the attacks by moving around Nnoitora with rather impressive natural speeds. It was as if she was playing a game, and that pissed him off.

Abruptly, Mashiro appeared jumped directly over Nnoitora's head, and this action baited Nnoitora into slashing at the woman once she had done so, but his attacks had missed and his front was now wide opened.

Before he could even be upset with the fact that he had missed the female vizard, crimson light brought him out of his thoughts.

Not even ten feet in front of him, Kensei stood with his hand outstretched and a ball of crimson energy forming in the palm of his outstretched hand, the sight of which made Nnoitora's eyes widen.

'_Impossible…_' Nnoitora thought, unmistakably seeing the forming of a cero.

"**Cero.**" Kensei uttered, firing off a colossal wave of crimson spiritual energy directly at the Espada.

The end result was Nnoitora flying backwards due to the force of the attack and subsequently crashing into a nearby wall.

He slightly stumbled out of the hole he had created in the wall, but before he could even completely recover, Mashiro was in the air above him, diving down toward him in a stance that suggested she was about to kick him.

"**Mashiro Super Cero!**" Mashiro shouted, kicking the air in front of her and launching a lime green cero out of her feet towards the Espada, whose eyes widened a second time over the course of a minute.

The cero caused an explosion to ensue upon connecting with Nnoitora, who appeared to be now implanted in the ground in an unconscious state after the consecutive attacks.

"**I got him Kensei!**" Mashiro chirped, though Kensei wasn't so convinced.

"**He's not d**one just yet, so be careful." Kensei warned, his hollow mask timing out at this point.

"**Okay Kensei, Mashiro will make sure he's down for good.**" Mashiro stated, taking Kensei's words to mean that she should make sure their opponent would stay down.

Before Kensei could even tell her that was an awful ideal, Mashiro was diving down towards the arranar from the air above his body, attempting to deliver one powerful kick to his abdomen so as to ensure that the arrancar was out of the fight for good.

However, when she came within a few feet of the body, four hands grabbed her feet and arms holding her directly in front of the Espada, who currently had a wide grin on his face.

Mashiro soon realized why this was at the sight of two more hands being present on Nnoitora's sides, in addition to two more scythes within the palms of the additional limbs.

The two free arms launched the scythes into her back, coming out the front side of her stomach and causing Mashiro to scream in pain.

"Mashiro!" Kensei exclaimed upon hearing his former lieutenant scream out of pain.

"Stupid girl." Nnoitora stated before withdrawing the scythes and tossing the green-haired woman to the side.

Kensei opted to ignore the Espada and quickly run over to his former subordinate, worry evident in his eyes and mannerism.

Upon arriving to the body, he saw her injures and counted his blessings after seeing that the scythes hadn't passed through any vital organs. All the same, her hollow mask had shattered and she was till in no condition to fight.

"Kensei…" Mashiro whispered weakly.

"Idiot… you shouldn't have done that." Kensei lightly chided, frowning slightly at his comrade.

"I'm sorry… Kensei." Mashiro replied, prompting Kensei to smile sadly.

"You can make it up to me by staying out of this fight and just healing." Kensei stated before throwing his lieutenant on his back and using flash step to disappear.

A second later he returned via flash step, only his expression was that of anger and determination.

"You're going to pay for that one, Espada." Kensei hissed, bringing his trench knife-like zanpakuto up and exuding a high amount of spiritual pressure.

"Did I touch a nerve?" Nnoitora taunted, bringing up his six scythes and grinning widely at his opponent.

"Bankai!" Kensei shouted, releasing the spiritual energy in one final burst.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs. Shinji and Hiyori**_

'_This guy's fast…_' Shinji thought, taking specific note on how easily his opponent blocked each and every attack he and Hiyori had attempted thus far. However, he also noticed that their opponent seemed to be purposefully holding back, and that confused him.

"Hiyori, don't let your guard down, this guys just playing with us." Shinji stated, not letting up on his offensive.

"I know that you moro…" Hiyori said before being cut off.

Ichigo had opted to kick the blond-haired vizard directly in her stomach and subsequently launched her into a pile of nearby debris.

"Hiyori!" Shinji exclaimed, though his cry was met only with the cold steel of his opponent's zanpakuto, who had opted to strike at the vizard when he believed he had an advantage.

"Bastard." Shinji spat, obviously not appreciating the lack of care on his opponent's part.

"**It's like I said, I don't have time for this.**" Ichigo stated before breaking the stalemate with a swipe that packed enough force to push Shinji backwards, albeit barely.

Not even giving it a seconds thought, Shinji shot right back at the arrancar, unwilling to allow his opponent to create an opening in his stance since he knew what that would result in.

The two began to clash blades, though it was clear that Shinji, despite the fact that he initiated the sword bout, was on the defensive and was rapidly being pushed back.

Seeing that he was on the back foot, Shinji used flash step to appear behind his opponent in order to regain an offensive posture, but he very quickly realized his opponent had seen the move coming and was forced to dodge a swift kick that had been aimed directly at his stomach.

Immediately after the arrancar pulled back his leg, he made an attempt to capitalize on the fact that an opening should be present, but when he brought his sword up once more, all he could accomplish was blocking Ichigo's subsequent attack.

The meeting of the two blades resulted in a stalemate, though it was quickly broken. Ichigo swiped his blade to the side, though this time, Shinji didn't fly backwards and instead prepared himself for the follow up attack.

"**Shinji…**" Hiyori called out in a raspy voice, immediately getting the attention of the former captain.

"**Get out of the way!**" Hiyori shouted. For a brief moment, Shinji looked past Ichigo's shoulder and saw a crimson cero charging at the center of Hiyori's open mouth, and at this sight, he used flash step to escape the intended path of the cero.

A wave of pure crimson seemed to pass over the Espada, destroying the earth and causing a sizeable explosion to ensue near the pile of rubble that was behind him.

"**Take that!**" Hiyori shouted in triumph, believing she had gotten payback for her previous injuries.

"I keep telling you. Don't let your guard dow…" Shinji began before being cut off.

Abruptly, Ichigo appeared directly in front of Hiyori with his left hand cocked back, and his sword lowed to his side. Faster than Hiyori could even react due to her temporary shock, Ichigo grabbed her face in the palm of his left hand, shattering the mask upon contact and subsequently throwing her into the rubble on the opposite side of the battlefield.

Without even batting an eyelash, he turned his sights to Shinji and lunged at him with his blade once more raised to his side.

Shinji brought his own zanpakuto up and blocked the attack before mounting a counter offensive and attempting to deliver any kind of wound he could, but he quickly found that, in his current state, it appeared to be rather difficult unless his opponent made a clear misstep in his stance.

Though he wasn't able to do damage on his own, he took solace in the fact that this was still a two on one fight, even if Hiyori's brashness did make that seem more even than it should.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**" Hiyori cried out as she lunged at Ichigo from his flank, her Shikai now active and her hollow mask once again present on her face.

"**You'll have to do better than that.**" Ichigo stated before bringing up his free left hand and grabbing the blade of Hiyori's Shikai, thereby halting her attack.

With his right hand however, Ichigo was still deflecting each of Shinji's attacks with his own zanpakuto, but it very quickly became annoying that he had to deal with two opponents at once, and so, he decided to fix that.

Abruptly, he threw Hiyori at Shinji by using her zanpakuto to do so, and, as a result, Shinji halted his next attack and opted to catch Hiyori, though the force of the throw caused him to fall backwards.

The former captain quickly recovered, however, and used flash step once he had made sure that Hiyori wouldn't fly backwards into a pile of debris.

His next course of action was to appear behind the arrancar and make an attempt to take his eyes off of Hiyori until she was able to regain her composure and rejoin the fight.

After their blades collided in a stalemate, all Shinji could see was Ichigo looking off to where Hiyori was currently getting up, not even bothering to look directly at him after he had attempted his attack.

"**Sorry…**" Ichigo stated. His words had surprised Shinji, both because he had said it and because he didn't see a reason to say such a thing.

He quickly found out why he had apologized upon seeing the arrancar outstretch his left hand towards Hiyori, a ball of crimson energy forming at the tip of his index finger.

'_No!_' Shinji thought, realizing that if he didn't act immediately, Hiyori wouldn't react in time.

"**Cero.**" Ichigo uttered, firing off the massive blast of crimson energy directly at the female vizard.

The red light of the approaching doom blast reflected in Hiyori's widened eyes, the sheer sight of the attack paralyzing her with awe.

That awe, however, was replaced with worry a second later after she saw Shinji appear directly in front of her with his hollow mask on and his left hand outstretched.

A moment later, the cero detonated, creating a sizeable explosion as evidence that it had, indeed, hit something.

Once the smoke had cleared, Ichigo got confirmation that this was the case upon seeing Shinji lying on the ground, his shirt torn and body lightly burnt, though he appeared to still remain conscious at the moment. In addition to this, the hollow masks of both Shinji and Hiyori were no longer present on their respective faces.

"Shinji, you idiot! A cero that powerful at this close a range could have killed you!" Hiyori shouted, prompting Shinji to chuckle.

"Idiot… if I hadn't done that… you'd be in my position…" Shinji said before losing consciousness. Light amounts of tears covered Hiyori's eyes before she returned her vision to her opponent.

"Bastard!" Hiyori exclaimed, directing her insult to the Espada that had caused the injuries to her comrade.

Ichigo was staring at the unconscious vizard out of surprise, but not for the reason that Shinji had done what he did.

'_I expected him to take the cero for Hiyori, but I never would have thought he'd be capable of firing a cero to reduce the effect of my own._' Ichigo thought, his mind traveling back to what was unmistakably an orb of crimson energy forming in Shinji's left hand before the cero detonated. Needless to say, the hollow powers that the vizards were capable of were quite fascinating, and powerful for that matter.

He was broken out of his thoughts, however, upon Hiyori lunging at him out of blind fury. He simply outstretched his blade and blocked the strike.

He made no effort to counterattack or end the fight. He simply opted to allow the short female to vent for a short period of time before he finished the fight, it was the least he could do after what he did to Shinji.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Urahara vs. Ulquiorra **_

"Scream, Benehime!" Urahara exclaimed, launching a blast of crimson spiritual energy at his opponent from a distance.

A sense of deja vu passed over the former captain at the sight of the Espada simply catching the attack in the palm of his hand and redirecting it into the sky.

Ulquiorra then opted to use sonido so as to appear directly behind his opponent, immediately mounting a series of slashes upon phasing back into existence.

"Impressive, Espada." Urahara complimented as he blocked each of Ulquiorra's strikes with minimal effort.

"I have yet to begin to show you the depths of my power." Ulquiorra replied before picking up the pace of his attacks.

Urahara immediately took note of the fact that the stabs and slashes of his opponent became significantly faster and as a result more effort was needed to block the attacks, but they weren't fast enough, and that gave Urahara an opportunity.

Abruptly, he grabbed the wrist of the Espada with his left hand, halting a would-be attack before delivering a horizontal slash with his own zanpakuto a moment later. The end result was for Ulquiorra's uniform to hang open and for a light cut to make itself visible at the location the attack had landed.

Ulquiorra used sonido to appear across the battlefield, his eyes lightly glaring at his opponent, who seemed to just grin in the most annoying fashion possible.

"It would seem that you are a capable opponent." Ulquiorra thought aloud.

"Why thank you." Urahara replied, giving a deep bow and taking off his hat so as to lightly mock his opponent.

"Do not mock me Soul Reaper." Ulquiorra stated coldly before stabbing his zanpakuto into the ground, effectively cutting the very ground in front of him and splitting it in two.

Urahara found it necessary to jump backwards in order to avoid the path of the upheaval, but his ears were greeted by the sound of sonido a moment later, along with Ulquiorra appearing directly in front of him before the Espada opted to attack him once more.

Urahara blocked several of the attacks, but soon realized that the Espada appeared to have tired of his games, which was evident by the pace the strikes were coming at him. Soon after the sword bout had started, Ulquiorra found a rare opening and slashed at Urahara as quickly as he was able.

The humble shopkeeper dodged the attack by jumping backwards, though the right side of his robe sustained a deep cut.

Before he could even make a nonchalant comment on his clothes being cut, Ulquiorra lunged at him faster than any of the occasions he had before, and this forced Urahara to use flash step, avoiding the attack with time to spare.

However, upon coming out of using flash step, his eyes were greeted by the sight of a bright green cero ripping through the air towards him.

Exactly where Urahara had been standing, the cero detonated, causing Ulquiorra to stare emotionlessly at its center.

"I'm not one for theatrics, therefore if you are simply waiting to continue to battle for dramatic effect, I would prefer you not." Ulquiorra stated, the smoke clearing a moment later and revealing Urahara to be in perfect health behind a barrier of crimson energy.

"Not one for theatrics eh?" Urahara asked amusedly, getting no reaction out of Ulquiorra.

"Very well, then I guess I should end this quickly." Urahara thought aloud, dissipating the barrier and raising his sword as a sign that he was about to attack.

"Scream, Benehime!" Urahara exclaimed, launching the same attack of crimson energy he had prior.

"Get serious." Ulquiorra demanded, outstretching his hand and dealing with the attack as he always did.

This time however, Urahara had used flash step to appear directly behind Ulquiorra and placed a hand on his back.

'_Dammit._' Ulquiorra thought, realizing what was about to happen.

"Rikujokuro." Urahara uttered, causing six beams of golden light to clamp onto Ulquiorra's midsection.

The shopkeeper then used flash step to appear on the opposite side of the battlefield, prepared to cast yet another spell.

Before he had that chance, Ulquiorra quickly freed himself of the Bakudo spell, recalling what the white-haired captain had done in his previous engagement, but he hadn't expected what Urahara did next.

"Bakudo Number 99…" Urahara began, causing Ulquiorra's eyes to widen slightly.

"Kin!" Urahara finished, subsequently after which Ulquiorra became bound by black fabric, after which, a series of heavy weights landed on the long ends of the binding material and caused him to fall to the ground flat on his stomach.

'_A level ninety's Bakudo without incantation._' Ulquiorra thought, realizing that he wouldn't be able to escape the bindings no matter how much effort he put into it.

"Shibari, Benihime!" Urahara exclaimed, sending a tangible red net across the battlefield and throwing it over the trapped form of Ulquiorra.

The abrupt sound of Urahara's sword stabbing the net that entrapped Ulquiorra's body could be heard before either of the two spoke again.

"You intend to kill me in this manner?" Ulquiorra questioned, though his response came in the form of a technique.

"Hiasobi Benehime, Juzutsunagi." Urahara uttered, subsequently after which dozens of small orbs made of fire began to appear along the edges of the net.

A second later, the spheres began to detonate, and that was all Ulquiorra needed to hear before he closed his eyes, and braced for impact.

The resulting explosion was sizeable to say the least, and the fire around where Ulquiorra should be was evidence that, if the Espada was alive, his injures would be too grave to continue the fight.

However, given that he wasn't one to leave any room for doubt, Urahara simply stared into the fire, waiting to see if the Espada was going to make another move.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Kyoraku vs. Starrk **_

"Love, behind you." Rose said, giving his comrade a heads up that one of their opponents was making an attempt to flank him.

"Got it." Love stated, turning to block the strike that came from Nel.

Rose was currently preoccupied with Halibel, using all of his energy to not be hit by an attack before their opportunity came to use their full strength.

"I tire of these games." Halibel stated before disappearing via sonido, only to reappear across the air from the two vizards a second later. Nel had mimicked her action and appeared next to Halibel.

All that happened next was a simple glance between the two, and then Halibel charged at the two vizards through the air whilst Nel vanished via sonido, her position not being known.

Halibel, much to the surprise of the two former captains, was quite easily matching both of the vizards blow for blow, perhaps even allowing herself to be in an offensive posture. Abruptly, however, she put out her left hand and outstretched her index finger, charging a golden-yellow cero on its tip.

Wordlessly, the cero fired, but both Love and Rose had the sense of mind to use flash step so as to get out of the way. As soon as they phased back into existence, Halibel was already on top of them, hounding at them with her blade as if her sole objective was to defeat them in combat.

'_What is she planning?_' Rose and Love wondered similarly, guessing that the lack of the green-haired Espada meant that something was about to happen.

"I thought you said you were tired of games?" Rose taunted, much to Halibel's annoyance.

The blond-haired Espada used sonido to appear further up in the air, her blade now glowing with the golden-yellow spiritual energy that seemed so deadly.

"Ola Azul!" Halibel shouted, firing off a countless number of the energy projectiles at her opponents.

The attacks were so many in number and so great in power that Love and Rose had yet to notice that the attacks were fired in a way that maneuvered the two vizards to a very specific area.

'_Just a little further…_' Halibel thought, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at the so called vizards.

"Now Nelliel!" Halibel exclaimed subsequently after which the green-haired Espada appeared via sonido directly above the two vizards.

Her cheeks were puffed out, and that was all Rose and Love had the chance to see before a colossal wave of pink energy shot directly at them and caused them to plummet towards the ground, having taken the brunt of the powerful attack.

"Damn…" Love trailed off, lifting his upper body off of the ground. He currently had a missing sleeve on his jump suit and several burns across his skin and clothes.

Rose was much the same, his clothes being charred and his skin lightly burnt, but all things considered, he had only mild injuries.

"These two can fight Love. Perhaps we should at the very least use our Shikai." Rose mused, Love just gave him a small nod.

"I have an alternative suggestion…" Hitsugaya stated upon entering the battlefield, his Bankai active and once again encasing his body.

"Do tell." Rose stated.

"It would appear the captain is back, Nelliel." Halibel said, glancing down at the ground and seeing the two vizards get off of their backs and back onto their feet.

"Yes, but we will be done here soon. If I recall correctly, Wonderweiss has found the woman." Nel stated, unable to keep the bitterness out of her tone.

"Set aside all other thoughts until we finish this mission. Regardless of our personal feelings, we were asked to accomplish this." Halibel stated, prompting Nel to nod in agreement.

Both would be lying if they said they didn't have it out for each other, or even the woman they were sent her to find. That said, Ichigo wanted them to do this, and, at the moment, that was good enough of a reason.

Abruptly, the two vizards alongside Captain Hitsugaya appeared across from them in the air, looking as if they were about to get serious.

"Kinshara!" Rose exclaimed, transforming his zanpakuto into a golden whip, a weapon that was completed by a flower located at its tip.

"Tengumaru!" Love shouted, summoning a large spiked kanabo that resembled a colossal black cactus.

"Shikai?" Halibel questioned emotionlessly, as if not shaken in the slightest.

"Is three minutes enough, captain?" Love whispered, prompting the white-haired prodigy to discretely nod in affirmation.

"Very well…" Rose trailed off, bringing his left hand over to his face. Love mimicked the action and the two simultaneously pulled their hands over their faces, calling forth two respective hollow masks.

'_What?_' Halibel and Nel though simultaneously, both widening their eyes at the sight of the two masks and the slight taint of hollow spiritual energy that became evident from the two former Soul Reapers.

"**Why do you look so surprised?**" Rose asked amusedly, prompting Halibel to glare at him, though Nel's expression shifted to that of confusion.

"What type of power is that?" Halibel questioned authoritatively, as if demanding to know the answer.

"**Sorry, but we don't have time to explain it to you.**" Love replied a moment before both he and Rose vanished by using flash step.

Love appeared directly in front of both Halibel and Nel, using his colossal weapon as if it were a bat by swinging it horizontally and forcing both of the Espada to jump back in order to avoid the attack.

However, upon dodging Love's first swing, both Nel and Halibel could see the golden whip was currently being launched at them. Both used sonido to get out of the extended zanpakuto's way, but when they reappeared the whip seemed to follow them.

Realizing that it would be futile to simply dodge the attack, Nel grabbed the shaft of the whip and held it in place, giving Halibel an opening on the male vizard, which she opted to take by using sonido to appear in front of Rose with her sword prepared to stab him directly in his stomach. Rose pulled the golden weapon out of Nel's grasp, but it was too late for him to defend the attack.

Love, however, was more than prepared to defend his comrade and appeared via flash step, his colossal weapon coming down like hammer where Halibel currently was. The blond-haired Espada easily dodged the attack by using sonido and appeared next to Nel a second later.

"They've gotten faster and their attacks are more fluid." Halibel stated whilst she stared down at the two vizards.

"Indeed, perhaps it has to do with their masks." Nel mused, her words matching Halibel's thoughts.

Any further conversation the two would have had was put on the backburner at the sight of Rose's weapon spiraling towards them in an attempt to latch onto one of the Espada.

Nel was once again the one to react to the attack and allowed the head of the whip to latch onto her left arm, immediately after which she pulled on the weapon with such force that Rose was sent flying towards the two Espada without the ability to counter.

"**Now Love!**" Rose exclaimed, subsequently after which said former captain appeared above both Halibel and Nel, spinning his weapon above his head like a fan before swiping downward at the green-haired Espada.

Nel, seeing no way to definitively escape the attack due to the speed at which it came, released her grip on Rose's zanpakuto and allowed the whip to release her arm before she raised her left hand and blocked the attack with her forearm, though all that did was succeed in limiting the injuries to that part of her body.

She then plummeted to the ground, her arm now bleeding a good amount and the cloth on said arm torn beyond repair.

Halibel, on the other hand, decided to use sonido in order to appear directly behind Love, her hand outstretched and a golden-yellow cero forming on the tip of her finger.

Wordlessly, she fired off the doom blast, but Love was more than quick enough to use flash step so as to escape the blasts path.

Rose charged at Halibel, now wielding his standard zanpakuto, and forcing the Espada to focus on the current fight rather than helping her comrade.

Abruptly during the sword clash, Rose vanished from sight and reappeared on across Halibel in the air, landing directly next to where Love had been hovering since coming out of flash step just a few moments prior.

"Why did you…" Halibel began to ask before the masks covering the faces of the two former captains vanished.

Halibel's eyes widened slightly a moment before Nel appeared by her side via sonido, her arm no longer bleeding whatsoever, but the sleeve of her right arm still completely gone and the series of wounds still present.

"How is it that you've healed so quickly?" Rose questioned, noticing that Nel was no longer bleeding.

"My saliva possesses healing abilities and this allows me to quickly heal injuries in the heat of battle." Nel explained.

"I've explained one of my abilities, so I would like it if you explained those masks of yours." Nel stated, prompting Love to grin slightly and Rose to smirk.

"Come now, you're more than capable of figuring it out by now." Rose replied, though he was quite correct in his assumption.

"I think I understand…" Halibel began, trying to go over the course of logic behind their opponent's powers.

"Those masks allow you to increase your current power with that of a hollow. However, there is a limit to how long you can access these powers." Halibel finished, her words being true.

"Looks like you figured it out." Love stated somewhat amusedly.

"It is unfortunate that your masks have a limit, otherwise this battle may have ended in your victory." Nel stated, knowing full well that neither she nor Halibel had an intention of releasing their swords.

"We didn't need more than three minutes, that's why we decided to use them." Rose replied, smirking as he saw the eyes of the arrancar widen at his words.

"What do you mean by…" Halibel said before the very skies above the Soul Society began to darken.

The white-haired captain she had dispatched of in her previous fight alongside Nelliel appeared directly in front of the two vizards, and that gave Halibel the impression that he was the source of the disturbance.

"This is where the battle ends, Espada." Hitsugaya stated, placing both of his hands on his zanpakuto.

"It is unfortunate, but nonetheless you gave me too much time to prepare." Hitsugaya stated, exuding a large amount of spiritual energy and causing the clouds to circle around him from their position of high up in the sky.

"Hyoten Hyokkaso!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, subsequently after which a beam of light blue spiritual energy shot from his sword into the epicenter of the clouds circling above him.

A moment later, the area in the clouds where the beam had shot into began to release a colossal ball of what appeared to be snow. The ball, however, disappeared just as quickly as it had come into existence and shortly thereafter the clouds began to drop snow onto the battlefield, something that confused both Halibel and Nel a great deal.

"Do you believe that this will…" Halibel said before she felt several cold objects touch her skin.

She and Nel both gazed at the flowers of ice that seemed to continue to sprout on their respective bodies, after which they turned their vision back to the white-haired captain, who currently had an emotionless expression on his face.

"Anything that snow comes into contact with freezes instantly in the shape of the flower…" Hitsugaya began, the countless ice flowers sprouting from the ground and beginning to create a spire that shot into the sky.

"By the time those flowers reach you, any chance of escape will vanish before your very eyes." Hitsugaya continued, the flowers coming full circle and trapping both Nel and Halibel in a pillar of ice flowers.

"Are they dead?" Love questioned, wanting clarification on the matter.

"That would be highly unlikely for beings of their power. That said, there is no chance they will escape the prison of ice." Hitsugaya answered.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Ichigo vs. Hiyori **_

'_Something's not right…_' Ichigo thought, blocking several more of Hiyori's haphazard strikes.

He could feel as if something had just happened, and the brief change in weather hadn't really done much to calm his nerves.

He very quickly searched the Soul Society for the source of the disturbance, and sensed that it came from where Halibel and Nel were currently fighting, and that was cause for concern.

'_**Halibel, Nel, what's going on?**_' Ichigo questioned, deciding to voice his worries, or rather convey them through their link. He couldn't hear a response, and, what's more, he couldn't feel them in the link, which meant something had happened.

'_**Lady Halibel and Lady Nelliel seem to be trapped in some kind of ice tower. It just popped into existence a moment ago and I can no longer feel her spiritual pressure in battle.**_' Sung-Sun stated, sounding slightly worried.

'_**Dammit… Wonderweiss, I will quickly finish with this fight and be able to travel to the second division. I need you to free Halibel and Nel, can you do that?**_' Ichigo questioned, hoping very much so that Wonderweiss understood what he needed him to do.

'_**Ohhhhhh.**_' Wonderweiss replied, giving off the impression that somehow he knew what he was asked to do.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_" Hiyori screamed, slashing at Ichigo with nothing but pure rage and hatred backing her attacks.

Ichigo abruptly used sonido and appeared behind Hiyori, though he wasn't in a position to stab her.

"**Sorry.**" Ichigo said a moment before hitting Hiyori in the back of her head with the blunt end of his zanpakuto, successfully cracking her hollow mask and knocking her out.

Ichigo caught Hiyori before she hit the ground and slowly walked her over to where Shinji currently lay on the ground, dropping her so as to make her more comfortable.

'_**Everyone, the mission is almost over. I need all of you to pull out as soon as you can. Halibel, Nelliel, if you can still hear me, get out as soon as Wonderweiss frees you.**_' Ichigo stated.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd**__** Division's Barracks, Yoruichi and Soifon vs. Wonderweiss **_

"Ohhhh." Wonderweiss moaned out before vanishing via sonido, an action that completely confused both Yoruichi and Soifon.

"He just… left?" Soifon asked confusedly, her question mimicking the thoughts of Yoruichi.

_**Soul Society: 13**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Urahara vs. Ulquiorra **_

The smoke still raged as strong as it always had, though Urahara hadn't taken his eyes off of the dark cloud ever since it had begun to filter into the sky.

His assumption that the Espada was indeed alive was completely correct, which was evident by the figure he saw walking out of the smoke.

However, what he saw was definitely not what he expected to see. Ulquiorra's uniform was completely torn, his jacket taking the worst of the damages, but it made him look more deadly. That, unfortunately for Urahara, was the only change in the Espada's appearance. His wounds were nonexistent, even the light cut that had been inflicted previously in the fight was no longer on his skin.

'_Not even scratched…_' Urahara thought, not believing such a thing to be possible. This meant one of two things, either this Espada was incredibly powerful, or he possessed unparalleled regeneration, both of which weren't preferable, but nonetheless, he needed to know which case it was.

"Care to tell me how you survived my attack without getting even a scratch?" Urahara questioned seriously, getting no visible reaction from Ulquiorra.

"My greatest strength isn't in my offensive characteristics, but rather in my ability to regenerate at high speeds. And I am unique. The only two areas I cannot regenerate are my brain and internal organs." Ulquiorra explained, though he knew for a fact that one other possessed instant regeneration that was equal to, if not greater, than his own.

"Your attack, although powerful, wasn't capable of damaging my internal organs, therefore all I required was time, which you so generously allowed me to have." Ulquiorra continued, bringing his sword up and pointing it at Urahara.

"Then next time I won't make that mistake." Urahara replied seriously, smirking darkly at his opponent.

"There will not be a next time." Ulquiorra stated, beginning to increase the amount of spiritual pressure he was outputting, and that meant only one thing.

"Enclose…" Ulquiorra began, though he seemed to stop midsentence for some reason.

'_Is he going to release?_' Urahara wondered, confused as to why his opponent appeared to halt in his action.

"It would appear…" Ulquiorra began, sheathing his sword and successfully confusing Urahara to a great degree.

"…that our time is up, I have been given further orders and you are not involved in them." Ulquiorra finished before vanishing via sonido.

"What was that about?" Urahara wondered aloud, scratching his head out of confusion.

"Oh well, guess I should help round up the wounded, I'm sure that Ukitake wasn't the only one." Urahara thought aloud before vanishing via flash step.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Byakuya vs. Grimmjow**_

'_You have got to be kidding me!_' Grimmjow thought annoyed upon hearing what Ichigo had just said.

Leaving a battle that was unfinished wasn't something he was in the habit of doing, but he figured he'd get the chance to kill this captain in the future, and that thought made him grin.

Grimmjow abruptly used sonido and exited his current trend of attacking Byakuya with such brutality, appearing across the battlefield and confusing the captain.

"Why is it that you have stopped, Espada?" Byakuya questioned impassively, not taking his sword out of an offensive stance.

"Something's come up, but I want to tell you this. Remember my name Soul Reaper, because the next time you hear it, you're a dead man." Grimmjow stated before vanishing via sonido.

Though he was greatly confused by what had just happened, Byakuya sheathed his zanpakuto and immediately used flash step to rush towards his lieutenant's battle, knowing full well that he needed to get to the fourth division as quickly as he was able.

_**Soul Society: 6**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Nnoitora vs. Kensei**_

'_Unbelievable…_' Nnoitora thought, debating whether or not he should actually listen to what the Primera had said.

'_A real warrior doesn't back away from a fight, retreating is the way of a coward._' Nnoitora thought, trying to justify his reasoning for continuing his unrelenting assault on Kensei.

At the current pace of the battle, his opponent easily blocked each of his attacks with the two blades his Bankai enabled him to possess.

"Why won't you just die already Soul Reaper?!" Nnotiora exclaimed, slashing directly at Kensei's head.

The gray-haired vizard ducked under the attack before making an attempt to cut Nnoitora directly across his chest, which was of course blocked through him using four of his free scythes.

Before Nnoitora could make additional use of the current positioning, Kensei used flash step to appear behind Nnoitora in an attempt to counter, but once more, he was met with opposition in the form of the Espada's numerous weapons.

"I've had enough of this fight…" Kensei began before bringing his hand over his face and summoning his hollow mask. His spiritual pressure began to rise and the two blades that took the place of his zanpakuto began to glow with a blue aura.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**" Kensei shouted, punching at his opponent at blinding speeds.

The sheer animosity of the attacks was enough to cause Nnoitora's stance to break and he began to be pushed back into a nearby wall.

Along the way however, the attacks had begun to pierce his hierro, and as a result, numerous cuts and gashes that were the shape of Kensei's weapons began to make themselves visible on the Espada's torso.

With one strong punch, Kensei sent Nnoitora flying into the wall before outstretching the two blades and pointing the tips towards one another, charging a crimson cero at the intersecting point and aiming it directly at the Espada.

Kensei's attack fired off, sure that the doom blast would connect with the Espada and allow him a chance to end the fight once and for all, but someone had decided to intervene.

A green eyed arrancar with black hair, pale skin, and a severely torn white uniform appeared directly in front of Nnoitora, simply catching the powerful cero in the palm of his hand and redirecting it into the sky, resulting in the doom blast doing no damage whatsoever.

'_Another one?_' Kensei wondered, preparing to fight once more.

"Were your instructions not clear?" Ulquiorra questioned in a tone that possessed a slight edge, something that was quite rare, and Nnoitora knew this to be true.

"Tch." Nnoitora scoffed, obviously not wanting to give a verbal justification of openly ignoring what he was told to do.

"And what exactly are you?" Ulquiorra questioned, looking over at the Soul Reaper who appeared to be wearing a hollow mask.

"**I'm a vizard, or a Soul Reaper that is capable of using the powers of a hollow to strengthen their own in the form of a mask. From the looks of you and the way you deflected my cero, I'd say you're an Espada.**" Kensei stated, a moment before yet another newcomer entered the battlefield.

To Kensei's right, Byakuya phased into existence, immediately directing a calculating stare at the two Espada that were on the battlefield.

"I apologize for the delay, but it could not be helped." Byakuya stated, drawing his zanpakuto and preparing for battle.

"As tempting as it is to remain here and fight you, we have our orders." Ulquiorra replied before placing a hand on Nnoitora's shoulder and vanishing in the static buzz of sonido.

"**What w**as that about?" Kensei questioned, his mask timing out mid-sentence.

"It would appear that the Espada are leaving, but I believe it best to tend to our wounded before making an attempt to go after them." Byakuya replied, prompting Kensei to nod in agreement, his mind instantly traveling to his lieutenant.

"Alright, I can take three, but you'll need to take one of 'em." Kensei stated before walking over to Mashiro.

He threw the unconscious vizard on his back before walking over to both Shuhei and Izuru respectively. Byakuya had gone and picked up Renji, throwing the red-headed Soul Reaper over his shoulder before meeting up with Kensei in the middle of the courtyard.

"Each of them took a hell of a beating." Kensei commented.

"Yes, but their wounds are not fatal, and that is all that matters." Byakuya said before vanishing via flash step, an action that was mimicked by Kensei a moment later.

_**Soul Society: 8**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Kyoraku vs. Starrk **_

'_Alright then, guess it's time to leave._' Starrk thought, immediately ceasing his attacks and coming to a halt on the battlefield.

"Any particular reason you just up and stopped?" Kyoraku questioned, staring across the battlefield of his opponent.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid it's time for us to leave." Starrk replied, prompting Kyoraku to smirk.

"Well I'm not so sure I want you to leave just yet. After all, there are still a few things I'd like to know about, and seeing as how you're the top ranked Espada, I figure you should be able to tell me." Kyoraku stated, giving a sly glace at Hachi, who nodded discretely in understanding.

"I don't really think you can stop me from leaving." Starrk said lazily, but Kyoraku's smirk only increased in size at his choice of words.

"Never said I wanted to stop specifically you." Kyoraku replied, causing Starrk's eyes to widen before he glanced back at Lilynette.

"Now Hachi!" A female's voice shouted from out of nowhere.

"Bakudo Number 73, Tozansho!" Hachi exclaimed, subsequently after which a barrier of blue spiritual energy began to surround Lilynette.

"Starrk!" Lilynette cried out before the barrier fully enclosed her body.

'_Dammit._' Starrk thought before he immediately turning back to see the captain once more.

Starrk, very abruptly, felt the cold steel of a zanpakuto on his neck, the wielder of which he hadn't sensed due to his worry over Lilynette.

"Move a muscle and you're done, Espada." Lisa said emotionlessly, her voice instantly being recognized by Starrk as the woman who had previously called out.

"My, my, Lisa, what took you so long to get here?" Kyoraku asked in an upbeat tone, the sight of his former subordinate greatly elevating his mood.

"I was taking care of some business elsewhere, but I had a feeling I would be needed in some way or another." Lisa replied, prompting Kyoraku to nod in understanding before he returned his sight to Starrk.

"Sorry about that, but it's like I said, I can't just have to up and leave me and this was the only way I could make sure you wouldn't do so." Kyoraku said, prompting Starrk to glare at him with a level of anger he had yet to see in the nonchalant Espada. Though Lisa showing up wasn't really part of his plan to stop Starrk from leaving, Hachi trapping Lilynette certaintly was.

"I didn't think you were one to stoop to such tactics." Starrk said in a slightly condescending tone, prompting Kyoraku to chuckle slightly.

"Can't say I'm proud of it, but I know you won't let her get hurt, so this was the best way to keep you here without injuring you to a high degree." Kyoraku replied.

At this point, Starrk knew he was between a rock and a hard place. If he made a move to Lilynette, his would likely take damage when the captain or this woman chose to react, and if he made a move to take out the captain or the woman who had a zanpakuto at his throat, Lilynette would likely be hurt.

'_I need just one opening._' Starrk thought, making an attempt to form some semblance of a plan in his head before he chose to act.

'_**Ichigo, I need a distraction.**_' Starrk said through the telepathic link.

'_**Buy why do you…**_' Ichigo said before being cut off.

'_**Don't ask questions, just make it big.**_' Starrk stated, though he received no reply.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks (With Ichigo) **_

'_He said big…_' Ichigo thought, outstretching his right hand into the sky and extending his index finger.

A small orb of black spiritual energy laced with red began to form on his index finger, a clear indication of what he was about to do.

"**Cero Oscuras.**" Ichigo uttered, firing off the devastating attack into the sky of the Soul Society.

_**Soul Society: 8**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Kyoraku vs. Starrk **_

From the confines of the squad eleven barracks, a colossal wave of black spiritual energy laced with red shot into the sky, something that caught the attention of everyone that could see it, which given the size of the attack, was most people.

The blue color of the cloudless sky began to reflect a dark red as the attack shot through the air, the very sight of it becoming captivated.

'_Now's my chance._' Starrk thought upon seeing Kyoraku, Lisa, and Hachi look up at the devastatingly powerful black cero.

Without another thought, Starrk used sonido to appear directly next to the barrier that encased Lilynette, slashing it with his sword and subsequently shattering it before he grabbed his fraccion and vanished from sight.

The sound of the barrier shattering brought Kyoraku, Lisa, and Hachi out of their awe, but before they could react, both Starrk and Lilynette were gone, and that made Kyoraku frown slightly.

"Well that's a bit of a disappointment…" Kyoraku said before releasing a tired sigh.

"At least I get to see my little Lisa again." Kyoraku mused, but said woman hit him in the back of the head before speaking.

"Don't lose focus, there will be plenty of time to catch up later." Lisa chided before dissapering from sight a moment later in the blur of flash step.

"Some things never change." Kyoraku said dreamily before he followed suit.

"I suppose I should see if I am needed in the fourth division." Hachi thought aloud before walking off towards said barracks.

_**Soul Society: 2**__**nd**__** Division's Barracks (With Soifon and Yoruichi) **_

"What was that…" Soifon trailed off upon the skies returning to their normal color and the energy from the black cero dissipating.

"I don't know, but whatever fired it is strong, and from the looks of it, the attack came from the eleventh division." Yoruichi stated before tuning to Soifon with a determined look on her face.

"Come on Soifon." Yoruichi stated before vanishing in the blur of flash step.

"Yes Lady Yoruichi." Soifon replied before she herself used flash step, even though Yoruichi wasn't in the area to hear her reply.

_**Soul Society: 10**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, former battlefield of Halibel and Nelliel **_

"Looks like something's going down at the eleventh… again." Love mused after seeing the black cero rip through the skies.

"It would appear so, but all the same, we should stay here and make sure that…" Rose said before being cut off by the buzz of sonido.

Before their eyes, a child-like arrancar appeared to be hovering directly in front of the ice prison that contained both Halibel and Nel, though his eyes were currently fixed on the imprisoned Espada as opposed to the Soul Reaper captain and his comrades.

"Where the hell did he come from?" Love asked to no one in particular. Even if he were to get a response, it would have been impossible to be heard.

Wonderweiss had begun to shriek at incredible volumes, sending sound waves that shattered windows, cracked inferior buildings, and forced Hitsugaya, Love, and Rose to slam their hands over their ears to avoid loss of hearing.

Within seconds, the ice that surrounded Halibel and Nel began to crack, and the sight of this made Hitsugaya cringe, knowing full well what was about to happen.

Moments later, the ice shattered completely, revealing both Halibel and Nel to be in prefect health, though unsurprisingly enough they appeared to be extremely agitated.

"Ohhhh…" Wonderweiss trailed off, staring at Nel and Halibel as they walked forth, both glaring at their former opponents.

"Be thankful that we must leave, Soul Reapers. Come Wonderweiss." Halibel said before vanishing via sonido.

Both Nel and Wonderweiss followed suit a moment later, leaving the current captain and the two former captains completely confused.

"Did they just… leave?" Love questioned, sounding as if he were at a loss for words.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division Barracks (With Ichigo) **_

'_**Was that big enough Starrk?**_' Ichigo asked amusedly, his question being met with a light giggle from Lilynette.

'_**Thanks for saving me again Ichigo.**_' Lilynette stated, sounding honest, but her words had the effect of greatly confusing Ichigo.

'_**Hey , I was the one who got you out of there.**_' Starrk said, though that only serviced to confused Ichigo further.

'_**What is she talking about Starrk?**_' Ichigo asked.

'_**I'll tell you later.**_' Starrk replied.

'_**Ichigo.**_' Halibel and Nel called out simultaneously, prompting Ichigo to release an audible sigh of relief.

'_**You had me worried there, what happened?**_' Ichigo questioned.

'_**Nothing of consequence. We are currently heading towards the meeting point, are you nearly finished?**_' Halibel questioned.

'_**I still need to go to Central 46, but before I can do that, I need to find…**_' Ichigo said before the sight of the person in question caused him to halt his reply.

Across the battlefield in which he had faced Kenpachi, Hiyori, and Shinji, Ichigo currently saw Yoruichi and a woman he knew to be Soifon, both having appeared via flash step.

'_**Ichigo?**_' Nel questioned, her tone one of slight worry after Ichigo had halted his response.

'_**Found her, and as soon as I'm done here, I have one more thing to do.**_' Ichigo replied.

"Are you the one responsible for this?" Soifon asked in an aggressive tone, something that Ichigo had completely expected given that he had done a great number of things since arriving that would likely aggravate the squad two captain.

"**Are you talking about the barracks being destroyed around me, or knocking out a captain and two of the vizards?**" Ichigo questioned, prompting Soifon to glare at him with great intensity.

"**Not going to clarify? Fine, I'll answer both. I did beat these three in combat, however, I can say that they are fine. But the credit for destroying the barracks can't go completely to me. Kenpachi helped quite a bit with that one.**" Ichigo explained.

"Don't speak of our captains as if you are acquainted with them, arrancar." Soifon commanded with venom backing her words.

"**My, my, Captain Soifon, what did I ever do to you? I haven't harmed Yoruichi over there, so what is it that you're so angry about?**" Ichigo said in a mocking tone, though Soifon appeared more surprised that the arranar had addressed both her and Yoruichi by name.

"How do you know who I am?" Yoruichi questioned emotionlessly, though she did want to know the answer.

"**Aizen wouldn't send the Espada here without telling us what we were up against… I think I've had to say that about five times at this point? You'd think I wouldn't, but Soul Reapers aren't the brightest of people.**" Ichigo answered, causing Soifon to grit her teeth at the insult.

"Watch how you speak to Lady Yoruichi you arrancar filth." Soifon barked.

Before Ichigo responded, he used flash step to appear directly in front of Soifon, placing a hand on her shoulder and successfully scaring her to a great extent.

"**Sorry about that.**" Ichigo said, breaking Soifon out of her mild daze. She opted to deliver a powerful kick to Ichigo's stomach, but all her foot was met with was the afterimage Ichigo left behind before he appeared on the other side of the battlefield.

'_How could he have slipped past my senses so easily?_' Soifon wondered, deciding to pass it off as a fluke.

"**Did I scare you with that? That disappoints me. Of all the Espada, I'd say I am the least scary.**" Ichigo said, his words instantly being picked up on by Yoruichi.

"So you're an Espada?" Yoruichi questioned, having not had confirmation of this as of yet.

"**Yes.**" Ichigo simply replied.

"Then I suppose Aizen trusts you with information… say, perhaps about a certain Soul Reaper he had brought to Las Noches." Yoruichi said, glaring slightly at the Espada.

"**He might've mentioned something like that.**" Ichigo replied.

"Soifon, we're taking him down as quickly as we can." Yoruichi stated, knowing full well that Soifon would do as she was asked.

"**You really want to fight?**" Ichigo asked, though the determined look in both the eyes of Yoruichi and Soifon, respectively, made him realize he couldn't really talk his way out of this one.

'_Why couldn't she have just come alone?_' Ichigo wondered, though he had to say that he was inwardly happy that Yoruichi wasn't rash enough to simply charge into a fight against an obviously strong opponent by herself.

"Not going to use your sword?" Yoruichi questioned, becoming curious as she saw the arrancar adopt a haukuda stance she knew to be all too familiar. In fact, it was one of her favorites to use when in combat or training.

"**Your both Hakuda experts, I may as well just give you a fight against what you know best.**" Ichigo lied. The real reason he had done so was because if he had used his sword, he likely would hurt either of the two, which was less than preferable.

"That is your mistake, Espada." Soifon said before lunging at the arrancar.

Ichigo, opting to end this fight as quickly as possible, caught Soifon's Shikai by the stinger, though he didn't allow it to even touch his skin.

Before the squad two captain even had time to react, Ichigo brought his knee up and send her flying into the air, a light amount of spit coming out of her mouth due to the force of the attack.

Ever so quickly, Yoruichi came to the aid of her comrade, though when she made to punch her opponent, her hand seemed to pass through his body.

'_Afterimage._' Yoruichi realized, immediately brining her sights to the location she sensed the arrancar was going to appear nex.t

That location was, unfortunately, directly on top of where Soifon had come to a halt in her path, and, once again, Ichigo delivered a powerful kick to Soifon's back, sending her flying into the ground.

Yoruichi, however, used flash step to come between the ground and Soifon, catching her former student bridal style before she rested her on the ground. At this point, Soifon was barely able to walk, the strain of her last fight and the two incredibly powerful attacks she just took beginning to wear heavily on her body.

"Rest now my little bee." Yoruichi said affectionately before using flash step to appear next to the area where Shinji, Hiyori, and Kenpachi currently lie down, unconscious.

After she had put the now unconscious Soifon down to rest, Yoruichi used flash step to appear directly across from the arrancar, glaring at his as if she were a mother cat who was about to make sure her cub stayed safe.

"**I didn't want to have to do that, if it's any consolation.**" Ichigo said apologetically.

Yoruichi, in response to this, had used flash step, faster than Ichigo could ever recall seeing, and appeared directly in front of him, her fist cocked back and prepared to do some damage.

The speed of the attack was something Ichigo had not expected, and, as a result, took a direct punch to the center of his chest, something that actually hurt quite a bit and strained his breath due to the bones cracking under the strike.

'_Damn she hits hard… if it wasn't for instant regeneration, I'd be having difficulty breathing right now._' Ichigo thought.

Yoruichi lunged at Ichigo, this time opting to use her natural speed in an attempt to deliver yet another punch. This time, however, Ichigo was prepared and caught the fist with his bare hand. Even as the fist connected, the force of the attack seemed to sting the palm of his hand quite a bit.

"**I take it you want to know about Ichigo Kurosaki, right?**" Ichigo abruptly asked, causing Yoruichi's eyes to widen.

The former captain of the second division used flash step to appear directly across the Espada once more, eyeing him as if he had gotten her interest. A moment of silence passed, the only sound being that of the winds causing Yoruichi's tan scarf to sway lightly in the wind.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Yoruichi finally replied.

"**What do you want to know?**" Ichigo questioned, confusing Yoruichi slightly.

"Why are you willing to tell me about this? How do you even know that I want to know this?" Yoruichi inquired, glaring slightly at the arrancar.

"**If what I tell you is true, does it even matter how I know or why I'm willing to tell you?**" Ichigo retorted.

Normally, Yoruichi would have been more skeptic, but if her opponent was willing to give her some answers, she would make an exception.

"Is he alive?" Yoruichi questioned, getting straight to the point.

She remained outwardly emotionless, but the look in her eyes told Ichigo that he should answer without giving it a second thought.

"**Yes, he's very much alive.**" Ichigo replied quickly, knowing full well that he definitely shouldn't pause in answering a question like that. Otherwise she may have thought differently and subsequently murdered him for keeping her in suspense when she found out it was actually him.

At this, Yoruichi was unable to keep her eyes from becoming slightly widened. She had hoped that this was the case, but to hear it confirmed was something else entirely. That said, this was still an Espada, and she wasn't willing to completely buy into the truth.

"Is he still in Las Noches then?" Yoruichi asked.

"**No… actually, he's here in the Soul Society.**" Ichigo replied, getting the instantaneous effect of making Yoruichi more upset than he had ever seen her.

"You lie!" Yoruichi screamed before charging at Ichigo at blindingly fast speeds.

At this point, Yoruichi believed the Espada to have been leading her on, and she definitely didn't appreciate that whatsoever.

Blocking punch after punch, Ichigo barely had time to speak, but still, he had to finish what he was saying.

"**I wasn't… finished…**" Ichigo said in between dodging and blocking a series of powerful punches and kicks.

'_How can I make her believe it's me?_' Ichigo wondered before an idea popped into his head. All he needed to do was stun her for only a second, then he could talk to her and tell show her who he was.

"I'm through listening to you!" Yoruichi shouted, delivering a particularly dangerous punch to Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo used sonido to appear directly above Yoruichi, grabbing her tan scarf before using sonido once more, only this time to appear on the opposite end of the battlefield.

Not even a second after he had reappeared, Yoruichi was lunging at him, a fist cocked back and malice in her eyes.

When her fist neared Ichigo's torso, he decided to enact his plan, something he knew would work, but then again, it had to.

After hearing the buzz of sonido, Yoruichi's fist connected with her scarf, something that caused her eyes to widen, and prompted her to stop attacking the arrancar for the time being.

She turned to get a look at the Espada, being absolutely sure that she had just seen a Hoho technique, though it was through the use of sonido as opposed to flash step.

"**Stealth Hoho Number Three…**" Ichigo began as brought one of his hands up to his hood.

Yoruichi's ears perked up at the mention of one of her personal favorite Hoho techniques, but a moment later, any surprise she derived from seeing an arrancar use the technique, seemed minuscule in comparison.

"…**Utsu**semi." Ichigo finished, taking off his hood and letting his full face be seen by Yoruichi.

At the sight of this, Yoruichi audibly gasped, simply staring at the face of none other than Ichgo Kurosaki. His orange hair, the brown eyes, this appeared to be the man in question.

"My teacher showed that move to me one time, but she never taught it to me directly. The only time I saw here do it was when we were playing a game." Ichigo said as he slowly walked up to the awestruck Yoruichi, placing a hand on her shoulder before speaking again.

"Tag, you're it." Ichigo said, subsequently after which Yoruichi had a light stream of tears openly falling from her eyes.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi whispered, looking into his deep brown eyes before she captured him in a tight embrace.

At the moment, she wasn't thinking about why he was here, why he said he was an Espada, why he had taken out four of the Soul Society's warriors, all that seemed to matter, was that Ichigo, the real Ichigo, was alive and in front of her.

"Is it really you?" Yoruichi asked, simply wanting to make sure after what had happened previously.

"Yes, it's me." Ichigo said, rubbing Yoruichi's upper back as they continued to embrace one another.

"Ichigo… how are you here?" Yoruichi asked, exiting the embrace and looking directly at Ichigo's face.

"More importantly, why did you say you were an Espada, why did you fight allies of the Soul Society, and why is it that it has been this long since I've seen you." Yoruichi questioned dangerously, now realizing the many things that were amiss.

"Well I did see you the other day in the world of the living, but I…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"That was actually you?" Yoruichi asked out of surprise.

"Yes, but I had to make sure you didn't think you say me because I wasn't supposed to let anyone see me. Aizen told me everyone thought I was dead, and if I didn't leave you when I did, I would have lost…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"Do you even know what I've been through?! I thought you were dead, and I quite literally cried in front of you when I saw you, and your response was to leave? To LEAVE?! And Aizen told you? Since when do you take orders from him?!" Yoruichi shouted, sounding as angry as Ichigo had ever heard her be.

'_This would be a lot easier if she just let me explain one thing before cutting me off._' Ichigo thought, however, in a very obvious way he this coming.

"Look Yoruichi, I know what I did was stupid. That's why I'm here. I had the Espada come here so I could find you." Ichigo replied. For a brief moment, Yoruichi smiled at his words because that had meant Ichigo went to an extreme risk to come here, but then the other words of the sentence hit her.

"You brought the Espada here? You're not seriously an Espada are you? Are you actually working for Aizen?" Yoruichi questioned in a voice of clear devastation.

"Yoruichi, I know you're probably upset and confused about all this, but I swear I'll explain everything. Just please, come back with me to Las Noches." Ichigo said, successfully flabbergasting Yoruichi.

A moment of silence erupted, both Ichigo and Yoruichi giving thought to the current situation. From her perspective, Yoruichi thought many things needed to be explained and perhaps the only way to get answers was to go to Las Noches, that said, it didn't exactly sound like an appealing idea.

"I don't know Ichigo. This is a lot to take in…" Yoruichi trailed off, turning away from Ichigo for a brief moment of time.

"I won't force you to stay, but I do want you to come with me, if only so I can explain everything. You know I wouldn't have allowed everything to happen the way it did if I didn't have a good reason." Ichigo said in a quiet voice, causing Yoruichi to sigh as she knew that Ichigo was likely telling the truth as he saw it.

"I can't just make a decision like that Ichigo, even if I wanted to go, there are still people that…" Yoruichi said immediately before the sound of a garganta opening forced her to turn so as to face Ichigo.

When Yoruichi turned, however, she found that the garganta had opening in a way so that she was face to face with the dark abyss. The sound of sonido graced her ears, and a second after that, she felt a hand being pressed against her back.

"Sorry Yoruichi, but of all the things that you'll have to forgive me for, this is probably at the bottom of that list." Ichigo said before giving her a very gently push, just enough so that Yoruichi had been forced to stumble into the garganta that lead to Las Noches.

"ICHI…" Yoruichi shouted before the garganta clamped shut, leaving her with only one path to take.

Ichigo facepalmed harder than he ever had once he had realized what he had just done. Even looking at it from his point of view, what he did clearly wasn't the smartest option he could have taken by a long shot.

'_I'm going to pay for that, aren't I?_' Ichigo wondered to himself.

'_**Big time.**_' A voice called out, something that confused Ichigo greatly.

He was absolutely positive he hadn't said that in the telepathic link, what's more, he didn't really recognize the voice as that of one of the arrancar. It seemed familiar, but he wasn't quite paying attention enough to hear it clearly.

'_**Did anyone say something?**_' Ichigo questioned via the telepathic link.

'_**No, by the way, are you done yet?**_' Grimmjow questioned.

'_**Maybe he and that Yoruichi person are having GAH!**_' Nnoitora yelped. Ichigo just assumed that he had been hit by Nel or Halibel. Perhaps both, and even Ulquiorra would have done so if he was that annoyed at the implication.

'_**Anyway… did you find her yet?**_' Starrk questioned, getting back to the point after Nnoitora's interruption.

'_**I… took care of it… now I need to go to Central 46, then I can meet up with you outside the gate I destroyed.**_' Ichigo said before vanishing via sonido, traveling to the area that housed the governing body of the Soul Society.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room, Other end of the Garganta **_

A black rift opened up in the dead center of the room, a second after which, Yoruichi walked out of the dark rift, a thoughtful expression present on her face.

'_Where the hell am I?_' Yoruichi wondered, looking around the room she had walked into after exiting the garganta.

"I assume that you are Yoruichi Shihoin." A voice called out from behind Yoruichi.

Out of pure instinct, she quickly turned and made an attempt to punch whoever was behind her directly in the face. However, knowing full well that this would not be wise, she pulled her punch when it was an inch away from the face of the person that had called out her name.

In front of her stood a woman who was equal to her height, had captivating purple eyes and flawless black hair that seemed to stretch down to her lower back. The most noticeable feature to her, at least, was the white stealth force uniform she seemed to wear.

'_Who is she?_' Yoruichi wondered, eyeing the woman with curiosity.

"Sorry about that, instinct." Yoruichi apologized.

"I should say the same." Risha replied, her answer confusing Yoruichi.

"What do you…" Yoruichi said before she looked down to see the tip of Risha's slightly curved zanpakuto pointed directly at her stomach.

"Oh." Yoruichi said, pulling back her arm and allowing herself to be in a less hostile posture, Risha doing the same and sheathing her zanpakuto.

"You are Yoruichi Shihoin, correct?" Risha questioned, eliciting a nod in the affirmative from the purple-haired woman.

"You seem to know who I am, any particular reason why?" Yoruichi asked.

"Lord Ichigo has asked that I ensure nothing happen to you while he is still in the Soul Society." Risha replied, causing Yoruichi's eyes to widen slightly.

'_Lord what now?_' Yoruichi thought, believing that she had misheard.

"Why are you calling him lord?" Yoruichi inquired, sounding almost amused.

"I am his fraccion and he is my master, therefore he is my lord, as I am his servant." Risha replied, her robotic answer causing Yoruichi to give her a confused look.

"Wait, wait, wait, what exactly is a fraccion?" Yoruichi questioned, the hollow hierarch not being known to her.

"A fraccion is essentially a private servant to a specific Espada. As Ichigo's fraccion, I answer to no one but he and Lord Aizen." Risha explained.

"So if you're his fraccion… he really is an Espada." Yoruichi thought aloud, sounding hurt in some way.

"Did he not tell you?" Risha questioned, sounding genuinely confused.

"He sort of pushed me into a garganta and I wound up here…" Yoruichi growled out, an indication of things to come.

"Where is here anyway?" Yoruichi asked, deciding to take a seat on the foot of the bed so as to calm herself slightly.

"This is Lord Ichigo's room. He requested that I watch over you in here, for what reasons, I do not know, but it is not my place to ask." Risha explained, subsequently after which a moment of silence ensued.

"Can you tell me what happened to him? Before today, most people thought he was dead, and even I had a hard time believing he was still alive… but he was fighting the Soul Reapers with the Espada… so can you tell me what lead to that happening?" Yoruichi asked, maintaining her composure quite well.

"I believe Lord Ichigo would want to explain these things to you himself." Risha replied, prompting Yoruichi to nod in understanding, knowing for a fact that this was true.

"Did he tell you anything?" Risha asked, her voice containing a slight amount of sympathy.

"No… not really." Yoruichi replied before falling back completely on the bed and releasing a sigh of pure frustration.

Many things were buzzing around in her head at the moment, all of which had to do with Ichigo. Firstly, she was curious as to why he had come and gotten her, why he went to the extent that he did. She was at a loss as to what had happened to him since last she saw him. She was debating punching the living hell out of him for leaving her on the beach. But most importantly, she wondered if Ichigo was actually working for Aizen, the very thought of which made her heart sink.

'_Ichigo… you have a LOT of explaining to do when you get back…_' Yoruichi thought, debating how exactly she felt about all that had occurred.

"What are you thinking?" Risha asked, noticing that Yoruichi appeared to be deep in thought.

"Hmmm?" Yoruichi questioned, not having heard Risha's inquiry.

"What are you thinking?" Risha repeated.

"I'm thinking that when I see Ichigo after he gets back, one of two things will happen. I'm either going to kiss him, or kill him." Yoruichi replied.

_**Soul Society: Outside the Central 46 Chambers **_

"**So this is where the nobles that rule over the Soul Society meet… I thought it'd be bigger.**" Ichigo thought as he walked down the narrow pathway that lead towards the gates to the Soul Society's governing body.

As he neared the entrance of the structure, spikes abruptly covered the door in a series of horizontal and vertical patterns, the sight of which made Ichigo develop a blank expression at the very unimpressive defense for a being of his caliber.

Not even bothering to draw his sword, Ichigo kicked down the door and began to walk down the many stairs that lead into the main chamber.

'_Now what did Aizen tell me to look for…_' Ichigo wondered.

_**Flashback **_

"Within the confines of the Central 46 compound is somewhat of a vault, the contents of which are each considered extremely important to the Soul Society's royal family as well as the governing body of Central 46. It contains documents, artifacts of sorts, and many catalogues of the Soul Society's history, but all I need you to acquire from this vault is two items." Aizen stated, prompting Ichigo to nod in understanding.

"So how do I find the vault and what do you need me to get?" Ichigo questioned.

"The vault is within the chamber that Central 46 convenes. I must warn you however, the second that you access the vault, an alarm will echo throughout the Sereitei, and this will alert each and every Soul Reaper of your position." Aizen stated.

"Wait, do you not have the combination for the vault or something?" Ichigo questioned.

"The vault itself has neither a combination nor a lock. Regardless of who opens it or for what purpose, the alarm will trigger." Aizen explained. This had been the reason the vaults contents had eluded him before his defection.

It was quite literally impossible obtain any items on his part or else he would have been discovered, and that was a problem. But now, he had a chance to gather a few items that he could easily use for his own purposes.

"Got it, so what do you need me to get?" Ichigo questioned.

_**Soul Society: Central 46 Chambers (Current Time) **_

"**Here we go.**" Ichigo said upon arriving in the meeting area of the nobles that made up Central 46. The room itself was completely barren, each seat being unoccupied.

'_They must not have reestablished Central 46 after Aizen killed them all._' Ichigo thought. If anything, that just made his job easier.

He walked into a nearby tunnel, his eyes landing on the diamond shaped door made out of pure gold with intricate patterns spread throughout the object. At its center was some kind of royal seal, and the very sight of it made Ichigo quite confused, but he decided to pass it off.

'_Let's see… and the opening device should be… here!_' Ichigo thought, finding the pressure plate that would force the vault to open.

The sound of the large object parting, as if it were a door, echoed throughout the chambers, subsequently after which, Ichigo walked into the doorway, eyeing the contents of the vault.

"**All that's missing is…**" Ichigo said, before being cut off by the object he was about to refer to.

An incredibly loud high pitched noise began to shoot through the chambers. Ichigo had just assumed this was what each and every Soul Reaper above ground was hearing at the moment.

"**There it is.**" Ichigo said before entering the room.

_**Soul Society: 1**__**st**__** Division's Barracks (With Yamamoto) **_

The sound of the alarm caused Yamamoto's eyes to widen fully. He could sense that the fights across the Soul Society were no longer taking place, but the fact that one of the arrancar was currently in the vault was cause for extreme concern. Said vault contained invaluable objects to the Soul Society's royal family as well as Central 46, and to allow anything to be taken from that vault was something he couldn't allow.

"Lieutenant Sasikibe, send a hell butterfly to inform all of the captains that are capable of fighting to return to the squad one barracks. However, send a separate messenger asking Captain Kurotsuchi to report on the position of the arrancar." Yamamoto ordered.

"Will that be all, sir?" Sasikibe questioned, giving a slight bow to the head captain.

"In addition to what I have ordered, have Captain Kurotsuchi preform one additional task…" Yamamoto began.

_**Soul Society: Forests outside the Destroyed Gate (Some Time Later)**_

"Any particular reason we're still waiting around?" Nnoitora grumbled from his position of leaning on one of the nearby trees.

"We're still waiting on Ichigo to get back from Central 46. Aizen had him get something, remember?" Grimmjow said, prompting Nnoitora to scoff.

"I know why we're waiting. I'm just saying it makes no sense for us to just be sitting around here." Nnoitora replied.

"And what could you possibly be doing that would constitute as a more efficient use of your time?" Ulquiorra inquired, prompting Nnoitora to grunt before he became silent once more.

"Clearly he'd rather still be fighting the Soul Reapers if the amount of blood on his clothing is any indication." Nel said in a condescending manner, though that only seemed to brighten Nnoitora's mood.

'_Animal._' Nel thought out of disdain.

"For your sake, I hope you didn't actually kill anyone of importance." Ulquiorra said.

"What if I did?" Nnoitora scoffed.

"Then you would have not only disobeyed Lord Aizen, but you would have also gone against the wishes of our Primera, both of whom are capable of putting you in an early grave without batting an eyelash, you foolish piece of trash." Ulquiorra replied, causing a dead silence to erupt.

The silence was ended upon the buzz of sonido being heard a moment later, after which each and every member of the group turned to see Ichigo appear.

"Bout damn time." Nnoitora huffed.

"**Shut it Nnoitora, it took me a while to find what Lord Aizen asked me to get.**" Ichigo replied.

"Still, couldn't you have gotten it without setting off the alarm? Even all the way out here, we heard that thing go off." Starrk commented.

"**The vault I had to get into doesn't have a lock or anything like that. It just triggers that alarm whenever it's opened.**" Ichigo explained, eliciting a nod of understanding from Starrk.

"Don't care, now can we leave already?" Grimmjow questioned tiredly.

"**Sure, someone can just open up a…**" Ichigo said before the sounds of multiple flash steps interrupted his sentence.

He, along with the others, turned to see that a good portion of the Soul Society's officer core was currently standing across the forest, eyeing the group of arrancar with their hands on their weapons.

"Don't believe that you can escape so easily intruders." Yamamoto stated, causing Ichigo to sweat slightly under his hood.

Those that currently stood before him were Yamamoto, Kyoraku, Komamura, Iba, Hitsugaya, Urahara, Love, Rose, Kensei, Byakuya, Rangiku, Momo, Rukia, Hachi, and, to his surprise, Shinji.

'_Dammit._' Ichigo thought.

**A/N Next Chapter will be posted next Tuesday, till then, have fun!**

_**Explanations**_:

**The Vault**: In case any of you missed that, the reason Aizen didn't get anything from it was because it sounds off _WHENEVER _it is opened, meaning he couldn't get anything without alerting the Soul Reapers, otherwise, it just wouldn't make sense that he didn't grab anything like that in the first place.

**What Ichigo got**: You'll find out soon enough!

**The Kings Key**: The items Ichigo got, neither of them are the king's key, in case people were wondering. Yes I know the key is supposed to be "infused within someone" but that to me is stupid so whenever I make the key in one of my stories it will be a physical key, not one that is present in one's body or something like that. Plus, if you think about it, they said the only way to make the oken was to sacrifice 100,000 human souls that reside within a current enriched spirit zone, which would mean that whenever a member is added to the royal guard, they get a key infused in them, and thus that's a necessary 100,000 human souls you have to sacrifice… that's my understanding of it at least.

**Mysterious Voice**: I'm not even going to say anything on this because most, if not all of you, at least have a clue as to who it was, or maybe you don't, regardless you'll find out eventually.

**Ichigo and Yoruichi's reunion**: I picoted it happening like this, but I can't have them have a lengthy conversation in the middle of a destroyed barracks when a random Soul Reaper could just walk by and report what he saw. Plus, this way I can make Yoruichi even more upset, which makes Ichigo worry more even though she will obviously forgive him for what has happened… the three hollows kissing him thing, don't know how forgiving she will be, haven't really decided.

**Ichigo's attack**: Start of next chapter!

_**Reviews**_:

**Mz**: He just beats them, also, in regard to that Thornsword guy, I don't really think he's very credible, nor did her really give any feedback, he kind of just said he disliked it and that was it… not really saying why, so I just ignored it, doesn't really bother me what 1 random person thinks.

**Kiwifan7**: Glad to hear it! Hope you liked this one, and yes he is. Sorry, no release because that would practically make an all-out fight happen between Ichigo and Yamamoto, or something along those lines.

**Mexican ninja1996**: Thanks! Also, he might be…

**darkmachines**: Thanks! Needed the vizards in there, I like their characters in general, I also like the fight matching with them, and yeah Wonderweiss is kind of underrated considering he was designed to take down Yamamoto and succeeded, though he died in the process. For Halibel's fraccion, I may take you up on that offer if I don't come up with something on my own; regardless of whether I use it, thanks!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: Glad to hear it, also the fights end after this chapter… finally, took forever! Also, no problem on complimenting your profile picture, it does look pretty awesome.

**FinalDemon**: …

**sami217**: Thanks! You get to see more of the romance in the future, believe me, after all the damn fight scenes for what, like three or four chapters straight, I need to not write a fight scene… and Ichigo getting beaten up for doing something stupid isn't technically a fight scene, so there. In regards to the "mother of all cat fights" yup…

**Harbinger-of-script**: Thanks and glad you liked it!

**Akuma-Heika**: I know it's a million, but I kinda just felt like writing it that way, if that makes any sense at all xD. The thing with Ichigo, he wasn't exactly the same thing as a vizard. He was feral, so you could understand the surprise when it's more refined and non-bestial. The hollows baffling thing, that is true, but they needed the Hogyoku, and they assume that the vizards didn't exactly have that happen to them, which isn't entirely wrong, but it's not entirely correct either. Yeah, I was kind of reffering to the sickness through Ulquiorra's comments, but I more intended it to be for Ukitake becoming more and more tired as the fight went on. I can't imagine him having unbelievable stamina all things considered. Don't know what you mean by this story and another… I can easily see your logic in regards to Uktiake's Bankai, and I was referring to perfect arrancar, and I was under the impression that a perfect arrrancar could release his or her sword, grand fisher could not therefore I thought he was just an imperfect one.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Yes we are, and now you know. You also know that Ichigo know that both 'I's' in Ichigo stand for idiot.

**Ryden Purrson**: Now you don't have to! Also, thanks!

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks, also that's a lot of really's… who are you, Lilynette? :P

**Naidoga**: Glad to hear it. Ichigo will not contest anyone for the ownership of the Hogyoku, and yes, other members will in fact learn the Segunda Etapa, the designs and powers of which, I have already thought of.

**ViceRB**: Thanks and no problem, I will explain what the attack is and how strong it is next chapter, also Starrk and Halibel cannot use it for a specific reason that will be revealed next chapter. Also, thanks I did quite well I believe!

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks, glad to hear you liked it. Hope it was worth the wait.

**Scarease**: Thanks!

**Digitize21**: Hopefully the fights are good enough that they don't get too boring, also I did try to make Wonderweiss an actual character, despite the fact that it was rather difficult given the fact that he can't really speak. Also, yeah the vizards showing up was a big part in the actual winter war and I figured that it should be the same given that this is essentially just an earlier trial run.

**DhanaRagnarok**: Thanks! Also, don't worry about the girls beating up on Ichigo too much, they quickly "forgive" him for multiple reasons, but I can't really say he will get out scott free.

**Guest(1)**: Indeed, also that was the intent, a chick fight is likely to happen in the nearish future, clothing damage, doubt it, but Ichigo damage, yes. Starrk does kind of look like iron man when he does that, but I think firing a cero wordlessly from his chest is just bad ass. No Lilynette and Hachi didn't get into an argument, the fights wrapped up rather quickly all things considered, and yeah Ulquiorra was kind of lucky Unohana just left. Kenpachi didn't get back up, but that was because if he did, I couldn't justify him not going immediately after Ichigo, which would just complicate his escape.

**Princess Khorne**: Glad to hear I did a good job with that! You also have to take Risha into consideration as she is also in the harem.

**Lighting Blade49**: Thanks!

**EyeHeartOC's**: Thanks and sorry!

**OoOXylionOoO**: Glad to hear it and a general thanks for the compliments!

**exile writer**: I will try!


	35. Kiss or Kill

**A/N Here is Chapter 35 and Chapter 36 should be posted on Friday! **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 35**

"Still, couldn't you have gotten it without setting off the alarm? Even all the way out here, we heard that thing go off." Starrk commented.

"**The vault I had to get into doesn't have a lock or anything like that. It just triggers that alarm whenever it's opened.**" Ichigo explained, eliciting a nod of understanding from Starrk.

"Don't care, now can we leave already?" Grimmjow questioned tiredly.

"**Sure, someone can just open up a…**" Ichigo said before the sounds of multiple flash steps interrupted his sentence.

He, along with the others, turned to see that a good portion of the Soul Society's officer core was currently standing across the forest, eyeing the group of arrancar with their hands on their weapons.

"Don't believe that you can escape so easily intruders." Yamamoto stated, causing Ichigo to sweat slightly under his hood.

Those that currently stood before him were Yamamoto, Kyoraku, Komamura, Iba, Hitsugaya, Urahara, Love, Rose, Kensei, Byakuya, Rangiku, Momo, Rukia, Hachi, and, to his surprise, Shinji.

'_Dammit._' Ichigo thought.

"Surrender now arrancar and perhaps you will live to see another day." Yamamoto bellowed.

"**Ulquiorra, open a garganta, I'll stall until all of you are in.**" Ichigo stated before placing a hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"You could not hope to fight all of us by yourself." Yamamoto said almost amusedly.

"**We'll see about that.**" Ichigo replied, though at his words Halibel and her fraccion, Nel, Starrk, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra placed a hand on their respective zanpakuto.

'_Great, they pick now not to listen to me._' Ichigo thought out of irritation. He did however feel a sense of relief in knowing that they wouldn't so readily leave him for dead.

"**Ulquiorra, open the garganta, now.**" Ichigo said commandingly.

Ulquiorra flicked his wrist and summoned the portal that lead to Las Noches a second later, subsequently after which he turned to face the Soul Reapers once more.

"**I wasn't kidding, get going.**" Ichigo said, though no one appeared to listen to him.

'_**We won't leave you here, Ichigo.**_' Nel stated, causing Ichigo to mentally sigh.

'_**I didn't ask you to leave me here, I asked you to leave before I did. Also I should add that this isn't up for discussion.**_' Ichigo replied sternly.

Begrudgingly, the members of the Espada and the select few fraccion headed towards the dark portal, surprisingly getting no reaction out of the Soul Reapers present.

Just as Ulquiorra was about to step into the black abyss, the garganta clamped shut, causing most everyone to widen their eyes in shock at the sight.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ulquiorra exclaimed, turning back to face the Soul Reapers.

"Now you didn't think that Aizen was the only one who could figure out how to stop a garganta from being opened in a specific area, did you?" Urahara questioned jovially, waving his fan across his face.

"Surrender now and we will allow you to live as prisoners of war until your fates are decided." Yamamoto stated. Ichigo knew for a fact that this meant death, as did everyone else in his party.

"If you think for even a second that we will willingly comply with that request, you are sorely mistaken." Halibel stated coldly before unsheathing her zanpakuto and pointing it directly at the group of Soul Reapers.

One by one, all of the Espada, save Ichigo, mimicked Halibel's action and brought their swords to bear.

"Hunt…"

"Declare…"

"Enclose…"

"Grind…"

"Kick about…"

"Pray…"

"**Dev**_our them_…"

"Strangle to death…"

"Thrust…"

"Eat your fill…"

"**That's enough!**" Ichigo bellowed, successfully stopping each and every member of their group from releasing their zanpakuto.

'_**Ichigo, what are you doing?**_' Starrk questioned.

'_**Just let me try to deal with this first.**_' Ichigo replied.

"**Stand down.**" Ichigo commanded, subsequently after which his comrades sheathed their respective weapons, confusion written all over their faces.

"Have you decided to surrender, Espada?" Shinji questioned, smirking slightly at his former opponent.

"**I have…**" Ichigo replied, shocking several of his comrades, though they didn't say anything due to the fact that they, for the most part, believed Ichigo knew what he was doing.

'_At this point, I have two options, one of which might kill everyone here if I can't control it well enough, and one of which will result in my being captured after I already pushed Yoruichi into a garganta that was bound for Las Noches… either way, I don't see how the risk of death isn't present._' Ichigo thought before the voice of the head captain brought him out of his thoughts. What he was about to do was extremely risky, and therefore it was exactly what he intended to do.

"Step forward and surrender your sword." Yamamoto ordered, prompting Ichigo to step away from the group of arrancar and stab his sword into the ground midway between the hollows and the Soul Reapers.

"Now surrender the device that allowed you to destroy the gates of the Soul Society." Yamamoto ordered, though his request only made Ichigo laugh.

"What's so funny, Espada?" Shinji asked warily.

"**I can't surrender the device because it doesn't exist.**" Ichigo replied, prompting several to raise an eyebrow at his words.

"What do you mean by that?" Hitsugaya questioned warily.

"**I was the one who destroyed the gates.**" Ichigo stated, though the Soul Reapers didn't seem to believe him.

'_**All of you brace yourselves.**_' Ichigo said before continuing his outward speech.

"**But if you don't seem to believe me, I guess I could show you.**" Ichigo said before outstretching both of his hands at the group of Soul Reapers.

Several made to react, but none were quick enough. At the tip of Ichigo's right index finger was a pure crimson cero, standard in appearance and the typical version one would normally see. At the tip of his left index finger was a cero that many had recognized as the attack that tore through the sky during the ongoing battles. It was black in color and possessed a red outlining.

The final cero was charging at the dead center of his chest, and only Kyoraku recognized and knew the name of the blindingly white cero. Ichigo then opted to thrust his two outstretched hands towards the cero that was charging at the dead center of his chest, effectively combining the attacks into one deadly ball of energy.

The very feeling of the energy combining made most, if not all, of the captains widen their eyes and also caused all of the lieutenant class fighters to sweat at the colossal amount of energy. The very density of the attack was staggering and made it feel as if the earth had begun to shake beneath their feet.

Static shot out as the cero began to form. Crimson mixed with black outside the white core of the cero, coalescing into a ball of energy Ichigo kept contained at the tip of his right, outstretched index finger.

When all was done, the cero finally took shape, having a solid white core that appeared to be from the Gran Rey Cero in addition a thick dark-gray layer surrounding it. All in all, it appeared to be a cero within a cero, and the amount of power emanating form it was impressive to say the least.

"**Cero… Cataclismica…**" Ichigo uttered, sounding off the name of the attack.

'_So that is the attack he used to destroy the gate… the spiritual energy behind it is… suffocating._' Halibel thought in awe, unable to take her eyes off of the white center of the cero.

"What is the meaning of this arrancar?!" Yamamoto bellowed, hitting the ground with his cane so as to sound more authoritative.

"**Simple, allow us to leave, or I fire this attack at full power and you all die.**" Ichigo replied, causing many to widen their eyes at his words. What he had left out was that if Yamamoto didn't make the decision quickly, he would lose control and most likely kill everyone within the immediate area, and outcome that Ichigo found to be extremely unbecoming.

"**This attack tore through the barrier and your precious gate before destroying a good portion of land behind it. Just imagine what it could do when nothing is resisting its path.**" Ichigo continued, prompting Yamamoto to furrow his brows.

"**Even if any of you are fast enough make an attempt to leave, I simply fire the cero and everyone else dies.**" Ichigo stated.

"You're bluffing." Shinji said, though he had his doubts.

"**Are you even willing to risk believing that?**" Ichigo retorted.

A moment of silence took over, though to Ichigo, it felt like an eternity. The strain of containing the energy within the cero was already beginning to wear on him. If he didn't fire it or dissipate it soon, he would receive near fatal injuries.

"**So are you really ready to die here Head Captain Yamamoto?**" Ichigo asked rhetorically. The response of all the Soul Reapers and vizards present was to look at the head captain, who stood silent as if deep in thought.

"Stand down… Kisuke Urahara, send word to the twelfth division to deactivate the device and allow a garganta to be opened by the arrancar." Yamamoto finally ordered in a voice that lacked its usually commanding touch, prompting Ichigo to inwardly release a heavy sigh of relief.

"Yes, head captain." Urahara replied in a serious tone before using flash step to vanish from sight.

"**Now was that so hard?**" Ichigo said mockingly.

"You may have successfully escaped capture today arrancar, but know that we will live on, and as long as we live on, we will grow stronger, and when we grow strong enough you and your kind cannot hope to defeat us." Yamamoto stated.

Immediately after his warning had sounded, a garganta opened up inside the location Ulquiorra had previously summoned one.

'_**All of you go in now… I'll leave as soon as all of you are safe.**_' Ichigo said.

'_**But…**_' Nel began to say before being cut off.

'_**Now.**_' Ichigo said in a voice that indicated a slight amount of urgency.

One by one, each of the arrancar walked into the dark abyss until only Ichigo was left, still staring down the group of Soul Reapers with the cero still present at the tip of his right hand.

"**So sorry to leave you like this, but I've got more important things to do.**" Ichigo said before dissipating the cero.

Anticipating that a reaction to the cero vanishing would likely be an attack of some kind, Ichigo quickly leaped backwards into the garganta, a moment after which the portal that lead to Las Noches clamped shut, leaving the Soul Reapers staring at the area all of their previous opponents had been standing.

"What the hell just happened?" Lisa exclaimed, absolutely stunned by what had just occurred.

"They got away." Shinji answered, as if the answer was obvious. A moment later, Urahara reappeared in via flash step, his expression somber and his demeanor less than cheery.

"At least none of our own were killed, if I am not mistaken." Rukia said, giving her two cents on the matter.

"Though that is indeed comforting to know, this battle resulted in a colossal defeat on our part." Byakuya stated emotionlessly, though one could tell saying such words bothered him greatly.

"Brother, what do you mean?" Rukia questioned with curiosity evident in her tone. To her, none of their own had died, and none of the opponents had died. On top of that, no one seemed to be captured on either side, so it appeared to be a draw.

"Aside from the fact that a group of powerful arrancar were able to invade the Soul Society and escape without losing a single warrior, many of our barracks have been harmed in some manner." Byakuya explained.

"On top of that, a few of our fighters are going to be out of commission for a few weeks, and that's a generous estimate." Kyoraku stated.

"This is the consequence of our arrogance…" Yamamoto said in a voice just above a whisper. Many of those who knew the captain commander well enough could detect that his tone was one of severe disappointment.

"Old man Yama, you can't go and…" Kyoraku said before being cut off.

"No Shunsui, it is in fact the truth. The strength of our opponents has been greatly underestimated and that is something not one of us can deny." Yamamoto said, his words being, in fact, true.

"We did get information on their numbers I believe…" Urahara trailed off, recalling that Ulquiorra had given him a number and rank.

"Is this the case for all of you?" Yamamoto questioned, eliciting several nods in the affirmative from several of the captains and vizards present.

"Tell me of your opponents then." Yamamoto ordered, deciding that the information would have at least made something good come out of the battles.

"My opponent was the Octava Espada. He called himself Grimmjow. His spiritual pressure was quite high and his fighting style was very destructive, however, had he not left our fight, I would have been victorious in the long run." Byakuya stated, taking some form of solace in the fact that he knew he would have, eventually, defeated his opponent.

"I also believe that the opponent of my lieutenant, Renji Abarai, was the Septima Espada." Byakuya added.

"I fought that guy. His skin was pretty tough and his fighting style was pretty brutal. It'd take a decently strong captain to defeat him, if not one of the stronger ones. I would have beaten him, but some green-eyed guy with pale skin interrupted." Kensei stated.

"I fought him so perhaps I can elaborate. He said he was the Cuarto Espada, and, from what I could tell, he was going toe to toe with Ukitake until the captain's illness got the better of him." Urahara said.

"His regenerative capabilities were something else though. He took the full force of one of my stronger attacks and came out with only torn clothing." Urahara added.

"Captain Hitsugaya, I understand that you faced multiple opponents." Yamamoto stated, eliciting a nod of confirmation from the white-haired prodigy.

"My opponents were the Sexta Espada and the Tercera Espada. Both were extremely powerful and if it hadn't been for the vizards showing up, I likely would have been defeated." Hitsugaya stated.

"Yeah, they were pretty tough… but I'd say that overall we beat them. If that strange looking arrancar didn't come in when he did, I think they would've been trapped for good, or at least until we decided to collect them as hostages." Love added.

"Strange arrancar?" Urahara questioned.

"I sensed his spiritual energy from the second division's barracks. Perhaps you should ask Captain Soifon." Rose mused.

"Where is Captain Soifon?" Rukia questioned, noticing that the raven-haired stealth force commander was absent.

"She is currently in the medical division. It is Captain Unohana's belief that she was knocked out by one of the Espada. Her body was found in the eleventh division, and that struck me as odd." Byakuya explained.

"I think we fought that one. I woke up when Captain Unohana showed up, and from what I could tell, Soifon had arrived to fight him as well. He didn't give us a name or rank, but he was the one that blew up the gates and threaten to kill all of us with that odd looking cero of his. Not to mention he took out two captains along with me and Hiyori." Shinji stated.

"Shunsui, who was it that you faced?" Yamamoto questioned.

"That's just it old man Yama… my opponent said he was the Primera, but from what I can gather, that hooded one seemed like he was calling the shots. Plus, he seemed like he was stronger if that cero of his was anything to go by." Kyoraku replied, confusing many present.

'_Why would he lie about his rank?_' Many wondered similarly.

"This is indeed strange but perhaps it is best not to dwell on such things." Yamamoto thought aloud, however very few cave consideration to follow this advice all things considered.

"One thing still confuses me…" Hitsugaya began, getting the attention of most everyone present.

"One of the Espada said that their objective wasn't to kill, something that I found extremely odd." Hitsugaya explained, his memory going back to his battle with Nelliel and Halibel.

Many captains seemed to think quite a bit about what Hitsugaya had just said, but none gave a visible reaction except Yamamoto, who looked back at the Soul Society, his eyes opening slightly at his realization.

"The vault." Yamamoto exclaimed, confusing many present but causing Kyoraku to slightly widen his eyes. Up until this point, both had forgotten about the alarm, but then again, they were the only one's present who knew what the vault was and what the alarm meant.

"Pardon?" Urahara questioned, not knowing exactly what the head captain was referring to.

"That alarm we all heard earlier was because someone accessed the vault that is placed in the chambers of Central 46. Only a few people actually know about it and its contents, but the fact that the alarm went off means that someone made a withdraw." Kyoraku explained.

"I must immediately investigate the vault and discover what it is that Sosuke Aizen had his Espada take." Yamamoto stated before turning to face his subordinates once more.

"Effective immediately, all captains are to see that their divisions return to their former conditions. After this is done, all captains and lieutenants must train as if their lives depended on it. And if this attack was any indication of what is to come, that might very well be the case." Yamamoto stated before vanishing via flash step.

"Hey Kisuke…" Shinji began, turning to the humble shopkeeper.

"Yeah?" Urahara asked absentmindedly. At the moment, he appeared deep in thought. Not only did he not know about the vault's existence, he also didn't know what its contents would be, and if he didn't know that, it would be impossible to know exactly why Aizen had his Espada come to the Soul Society, which was now the presumable reason for the invasion given that all other things remained the same. Needless to say, now he needed to look into it.

"Where's Yoruichi?" Shinji asked, snapping Urahara out of his thoughts.

_**Las Noches: Throne Room (Other side of the Garganta) **_

"If I never have to go back to that place, it'd be too soon." Nnoitora grumbled as he exited the garganta.

"You didn't have to come you know." Grimmjow commented from his position of leaning against a nearby pillar.

"I didn't say that I hated the fighting, just saying I hated the scenery." Nnoitora replied, smirking slightly at the memory of impaling the three male lieutenants and the green-haired woman.

Within a few seconds, the rest of the arrancar exited the garganta with the exception of Ichigo, who was presumably on his way.

"You guys look like you got your asses kicked." Yammy commented after everyone had entered the throne room, specifically looking at Grimmjow, Nnoitora, and Ulquiorra, whose tattered uniform only made it seem as if this was the case.

"Being harmed by such Soul Reaper trash is a disgrace. Grimmjow, Nnoitora, Ulquiorra, Nelliel, all of you should have come back covered in the blood of your enemies, not your own." Barragan gruffly commented as he walked into the room, several of his fraccion in toe.

"It is such a pleasure to see you once more, Barragan. Staying away from conflict seems to suit you." Ulquiorra said emotionlessly, prompting Barragan to lose his smirk of superiority and glare daggers at the green-eyed Cuarto.

"Are you calling me a coward, worm?" Barragan questioned in a condescending manner.

"Worm… interesting title for your superior." Ulquiorra stated, earning a low growl from Barragan.

"Do not speak to Lord Barragan in such a way!" Ggio exclaimed, beating Findorr to the punch.

"You would do well to remember your place, fraccion." Ulquiorra reminded.

"It would seem that Starrk and Halibel are the only warriors competent enough to stand up to the Soul Reapers unscathed." Barragan commented, choosing to ignore Ulquiorra's rebuttal.

"Not entirely true, Ichigo seemed to get away without having a scratch on him." Starrk stated, eliciting a quiet grunt from Barragan at the mention of the Primera.

"Speak of the devil." Grimmjow joked as he saw Ichigo step out of the garganta. His hood was down, and a tired look was present in his eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by the group of arrancar.

"What the hell happened to you?" Grimmjow asked amusedly.

However, any semblance of comedy evaporated as soon as Ichigo began to fall to his knees, something that surprised the group to a great degree.

"Ichigo!" Halibel and Nel exclaimed simultaneously as both caught the Primera before he fell completely onto his knees.

'_Thankfully the head captain didn't stall for too long, otherwise I might have fainted, or worse, lost control of the cero._' Ichigo thought.

"I'm fine." Ichigo replied before he slowly collected himself and regained the ability to stand.

"No you're not, what happened?" Nel questioned worriedly.

"That attack I used isn't supposed to be contained for that long. The amount of energy I had to hold was literally sucking the life out of me. I'm just happy that it paid off." Ichigo replied tiredly.

"Interesting…" A voice called out from the entrance. Everyone's attention was brought towards none other than Aizen himself, followed by both Gin and Tosen, who stood at his respective sides.

"Perhaps you should explain to me what occurred that caused you to do such a thing?" Aizen asked as he walked up to the group.

"They found a way to close off the garganta from within the Soul Society and trap us there. Since half of the captains and lieutenants were confronting us, I charged my most powerful cero and threatened to blow all of us up if they didn't allow us to leave. Thankfully, it worked." Ichigo replied.

"I suppose so." Aizen simply replied, not appearing as if he cared for Ichigo's incredibly risky course of action.

"I see that only thee of you are uninjured, but I will hear of your confrontations at a later date." Aizen said, causing Ichigo to turn to his allies and finally examine their injuries.

Ulquiorra merely had a tattered uniform. Grimmjow had several cuts, as did Nnoitora, and Halibel's fraccion were mildly injured. Starrk was perfectly fine, as was Halibel, but Ichigo then noticed the injury to Nel's left arm.

"Nel, what happened?" Ichigo questioned in a voice of slight worriedness as soon as his eyes fell on her wound. Upon hearing the touch of concern, Halibel's eyes narrowed and her body tensed due to the recent knowledge of Nel's feelings for Ichigo.

"Oh, it's just a scratch, I can heal it quickly but I only had time to stop the bleeding during the fight." Nel replied sheepishly, inwardly glad that Ichigo seemed concerned.

Halibel on the other hand was somewhat regretting that she hadn't allowed herself to be injured, if ever so slightly.

"I would ask that all of you retire for the evening… except for you, Ichigo." Aizen stated, prompting each and every arrancar present to vanish in the buzz of sonido, though some did so with more reluctance than others.

"Did you retrieve the items I requested?" Aizen asked once the other arrancar had left.

"Of course, security was pretty lax considering that Central 46 was practically a ghost town. Looks like they still haven't reelected them since you…" Ichigo said before stopping upon realizing what he was about to say.

'_So his memory has returned as I had hoped._' Aizen thought. If Ichigo had retrieved the items and also returned with Yoruichi without losing any of the arrancar that went with him, quite literally everything turned out in the best possible scenario for his future plan to come to fruition.

"Since I murdered them, correct?" Aizen questioned with a smirk of sheer contentedness etched onto his face.

"Y-yeah, since that." Ichigo replied somewhat shakily, inwardly cursing his slip of the tongue.

"My, my, Ichigo, looks like your memory of our dear Lord Aizen has come back." Gin commented, his characteristic grin present on his face.

"Seeing or sensing people I used to fight with tends have that effect." Ichigo replied in all seriousness.

"And what of your loyalties?" Tosen questioned, wanting to get directly to the point despite knowing that Aizen was about to ask the very same question, though he likely would have worded it differently.

'_I wish I knew the answer to that question…_' Ichigo thought dryly.

"I… I think I'll stay here for now. I still haven't decided what exactly I'm going to do, but at the moment I suppose I still fight for you." Ichigo replied, actually giving the honest truth as he saw it, though he lied through his teeth when he said he would fight for Aizen.

"I see…" Aizen replied, giving Ichigo a skeptical stare, as if trying to find any indication if he was lying or hiding something.

Ichigo inwardly began to sweat at this. Perhaps Aizen had begun to doubt his loyalty, and given the fact that he had just brought Yoruichi here, he now had someone he thought could be used against him if he ever went against Aizen.

'_Please don't get suspicious, please don't get suspicious._' Ichigo chanted in thought, managing to keep a calm and collected outward appearance.

"Then that is indeed good news. Now I believe you have a few items for me." Aizen said, giving Ichigo a somewhat genuine smile and smugly closing his eyes for a brief second.

Ichigo released an inward sigh of relief, knowing that any outward display of such relief would cause Aizen to grow suspicious. He reached into his cloak and pulled out two objects, one of which appeared to be a book, and one of which appeared to be an intricately designed box.

"Thank you Ichigo, these items will prove to be quite valuable to me… now, I believe that Yoruichi is still waiting in your room." Aizen said, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen slightly.

"She's still in there… right?" Ichigo questioned, not sure if he was more worried about Yoruichi leaving the room, or Aizen relocating her.

"Don't worry Ichigo, she is quite alright, but she had asked for time alone with her thoughts, a request your fraccion granted and relayed to me." Aizen explained.

"By the way, Ichigo, I overheard Risha telling Lord Aizen that you simply pushed her into a garganta… that was rather smooth of you." Gin commented jokingly, causing Ichigo to smack his face with the palm of his right hand.

Tosen lightly chuckled, though weather it was at the sound Ichigo's hand made upon coming into contact with Ichigo's face, or Gin's joke, was unknown.

"Perhaps not the best method to bring her here, but she is here nonetheless." Aizen stated before walking out of the throne room.

"Do you really want to keep her waiting?" Gin questioned, his grin widening after hearing Ichigo audibly gulp in response.

'_Here goes…_' Ichigo thought before disappearing via sonido.

"Do you think that Yoruichi Shihoin has a romantic attachment to Ichigo Kurosaki?" Tosen questioned, in a rare instance of making small talk with Gin.

"Yes, but I don't think that's his biggest concern. Personally, I think the other three, or at least Halibel and Nelliel, are at odds with each other, and I think Ichigo has something to do with it." Gin replied in an upbeat tone.

"How could you tell?" Tosen inquired, raising a curious brow.

"When Ichigo noticed Nelliel was injured and sounded worried for her, Halibel's reaction was rather noticeable considering she isn't the type to let such things bother her. Didn't you see that she… never mind." Gin said, realizing that his question was rather redundant.

_**Las Noches: Outside Ichigo's Room**_

'_I can do this… I can do this…_' Ichigo thought as he came up to the door of his own room.

He brought his hand up and opted to knock on the door, immediately getting a reply from the other side.

"Who is it?" Yoruichi questioned, causing Ichigo to inwardly panic.

'_I can't do this, I can't do this._' Ichigo thought.

"I-its Ichigo, can I come in?" Ichigo questioned shakily.

"Oh wonderful, I've been waiting for you to get back." Yoruichi said in a sickeningly sweet tone, something that sent a shiver down Ichigo's spine.

'_This is ridiculous. I can fight Kenpachi without even giving it a second thought, but it comes to this and I can't bring myself to do it?_' Ichigo thought.

"You just going to stand there or are you going to come in?" Yoruichi questioned impatiently.

'_I'd rather fight Kenpachi again…_' Ichigo thought before opening the door.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Why wait so long to come in?" Yoruichi questioned confusedly. She currently stood across the room, placing herself directly in front of the bed's foot as she stared directly at Ichigo entering the room.

"Trying to think of all the ways this conversation could go." Ichigo replied.

"And?" Yoruichi asked with a raised brow.

"Not good." Ichigo replied sheepishly.

"Then we're on the same page." Yoruichi said, narrowing her eyes slightly at her former student.

"Please shut the door, I'd like for no one to hear this conversation." Yoruichi said calmly, almost too calmly.

Ichigo knew better than to dispute this and did exactly as he was asked to do before walking toward the purple haired woman who currently had a neutral expression on her face, something that unnerved him greatly.

"Okay… so where do I start?" Ichigo questioned, deciding to get straight to business. Yoruichi took a deep breath and released it before making her response.

"I know the reason why you left for Hueco Mundo, I know what happened to Orihime, and I, along with everyone else, was told that you were dead." Yoruichi began, though Ichigo had suspected this much.

"I don't want to start with what happened to you just yet, I would like to start with the fact that you were at a beach for some reason and decided to run away from me." Yoruichi said, being unable to keep her frustration hidden in that touchy subject.

"I know you're mad about that, but…" Ichigo began before being cut off.

"I'm not mad about that." Yoruichi said, shaking her head for emphasis.

"Really?" Ichigo asked in a flabbergasted voice, expecting her to have screamed at the top of her lungs because he did such a thing.

"No… I'm not mad Ichigo… I am furious!" Yoruichi replied, shouting the last part of her sentence.

"I didn't even tell anyone I saw you because I thought I was going insane!" Yoruichi continued.

"So please explain to me why you just… left." Yoruichi finished in a tone that was of a much less volume. However, the anger in her voice was replaced by something far worse, sadness.

"I'll admit, I was aware that you knew who I was when I left, but I didn't know who you were." Ichigo replied, causing Yoruichi's eyes to widen at his words.

"Ichigo, what are you talking about?" Yoruichi questioned, though she dreaded what the answer would be.

"The reason I haven't left Las Noches up until now was because I didn't remember who I was. I couldn't even remember who you were up until this morning." Ichigo explained.

"Did you lose your memory somehow?" Yoruichi asked in a tone of clear surprise, prompting Ichigo to nod.

'_So that's why he hasn't been seen… still, that doesn't answer everything._' Yoruichi thought.

"Then why were you in the Soul Society, why are you wearing those clothes, and why did it look like you were fighting for Aizen?!" Yoruichi questioned, regaining her frustration as she continued her line of questioning.

"Well… for me to explain all that, I'd need to tell you how it was I lost my memory." Ichigo said in a tone of clear sadness.

Yoruichi became confused at this, but her confusion was replace with worry a moment later as she saw a mask fragment begin to engulf the left side of Ichigo's face. A horn came out of the skull portion, and a dark gray line came down the section of the eye. At the very sight of the mask fragment, Yoruichi gasped, somewhat grasping what this had meant.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi whispered as she brought her hand up to Ichigo's exposed right cheek, caressing it affectionately as she stared at the hollow mask fragment.

"Are you… are you a hollow?" Yoruichi asked with a heavy heart.

"Not exactly." Ichigo replied as he withdrew his mask fragment, something that confused Yoruichi given that she realized the ability to do away with a mask fragment was not an ability an arrancar possessed, or at least, she didn't think they did.

"The only thing about me that's changed is that instead of Soul Reaper powers, I have arrancar powers. That's why I have the mask, but I hate wearing that stupid thing." Ichigo stated.

"How is that different from a normal arrancar?" Yoruichi asked.

"I don't have a hollow hole and I am supposedly just as human as I ever was. I'm not exactly sure what I am, but Aizen says that…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"Aizen?" Yoruichi asked, using a particular hint of venom that caused Ichigo's heart to jolt.

"He's responsible for doing this to you, isn't he?" Yoruichi questioned, glaring slightly at Ichigo, though he knew he wasn't the reason for her glare.

"Yes, after I was "created", as he puts it, I lost my memory and have been regaining it ever since. It's complete now, but up until this morning, quite a few pieces were missing." Ichigo replied.

"I'm going to rip the heart out of that maniac's chest." Yoruichi declared, but Ichigo knew that he would have to calm her down before she did indeed keep her word.

"Yoruichi, I need you not do go against Aizen, at least, not yet." Ichigo stated, immediately catching the former captain's attention.

'_What does he mean by that?_' Yoruichi wondered, expecting that Ichigo would elaborate.

"I'm a lot stronger than I was and I'm pretty sure that I can take down Aizen at full strength. I don't want to go against him just yet because I intend to get some of the arrancar to fight with me. I know several will fight with me, and I am positive I can get a few more on top of them." Ichigo explained, pulling the glove off of his right hand and showing Yoruichi the black number one tattooed on the back of his hand, the sight of which made Yoruichi gasp.

'_He's the Primera Espada? I guess I really shouldn't be surprised since he took out Soifon, Kenpachi, Shinji, and Hiyori… but stil…_' Yoruichi thought out of surprise.

Her surprise, however, was negated as soon as the rest of Ichigo's sentence hit her ears.

"So that's why you brought me here?" Yoruichi questioned in a tone of clear disappointment.

"No… I'd be lying if I said that was the only reason." Ichigo admitted before bringing Yoruichi into an embrace, looking down into her golden eyes and she into his brown eyes.

'_I forgot how handsome he was…_' Yoruichi thought before the sound of Ichigo's speech graced her ears.

"After I saw you on the beach and came back here to Las Noches…" Ichigo began, noticing that Yoruichi's eyes narrowed by a sizeable degree at the mention of that instance.

"…I remembered the last night we shared before I had to go to Hueco Mundo and I couldn't help but feel disgusted with myself for what I did the other day." Ichigo continued, prompting Yoruichi's eyes to return to normal size since this seemed like it was an apology of some kind, which she felt she deserved.

"The look in your eyes practically ripped out my heart, and I knew I couldn't just let you live on without knowing that I was alive just because I wasn't willing to disobey Aizen. The real reason I brought you here, Yoruichi, is because I… I wanted you to be here… I needed you to be here." Ichigo stated, causing Yoruichi to smile despite all that she had heard.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi whispered exiting the embrace and taking a step back, a gesture that confused Ichigo.

"What are you…" Ichigo said before he saw Yoruichi bring her fist back.

"I'm really sorry about this, but I can't just let you off the hook after abandoning and then kidnapping me." Yoruichi said, using a slightly joking tone at the mention of how she entered Las Noches.

"I regret nothing." Ichigo said as he closed his eyes and braced for impact.

"Oh you will." Yoruichi promised before bringing her fist forward and punching Ichigo directly in the stomach.

_**Las Noches: Outside Ichigo's Room **_

Just as Yoruichi's fist connected with Ichigo stomach, the door opened, revealing Risha to be on the other side.

"Ichigo?" Risha questioned in a voice of clear confusion before jumping sideways to avoid being hit by Ichigo as he flew through the air into the wall outside his door.

On top of that wall, which was quite a few feet thick, he flew through several subsequent walls, stopping somewhere in an unknown corridor before he made his way back to the front of his door, wobbling periodically due to the force of the punch.

"What are you two doing?" Risha questioned confusedly, slightly worried for her master's wellbeing at this point.

"Communicating." Yoruichi replied, only fueling Risha's confusion.

"It's okay Risha, now I just need to get through the Yoruichi so I can continue to talk to the door." Ichigo said as he stumbled back into his room, immediately after which the door shut.

'_The last time I punched him we ended up sleeping together…_' Risha thought out of worry, the fact that Yoruichi was quite attractive now becoming very apparent to her. All things considered, she knew that Ichigo wouldn't want any interruptions, and thus, she simply walked away, fighting the temptation to enter to room.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

"Okay, I completely deserved that." Ichigo admitted, regaining the ability to speak coherent sentences.

"I'm not done." Yoruichi corrected, giving Ichigo her signature smirk and causing him to audibly gulp.

Ichigo once again shut his eyes in expectation of a punch or some other form of bodily harm, but all he could feel were Yoruichi's arms wrapping around his upper body, and before he knew it, a pair of lips were touching his own.

Ichigo's eyes shot wide open for only a second before he realized what Yoruichi was doing and, at that point, he didn't even give it a second thought before he closed his eyes and kissed her back.

A moment later, Yoruichi came out of the kiss, giving Ichigo a genuine smile as she looked up at him.

"Not that I'm complaining…" Ichigo began, being the first to speak and breaking Yoruichi out of her temporary daze.

"But what was that for?" Ichigo questioned confusedly, though he did prefer the kiss to the punch.

"It was for the effort." Yoruichi replied teasingly, prompting Ichigo to release a slight chuckle.

"After that night, I wondered if you would have rescued me the same way you did Rukia, but then I thought I'd hate that because I don't play damsel in distress. At least this way, I can only imagine what lengths you'd go if I was actually in any danger." Yoruichi added, playfully slapping Ichigo's chest before a moment of silence kicked in.

"Now that that's out of the way…" Yoruichi began before exiting the embrace and regaining a neutral expression, something that Ichigo took as a bad sign.

"I can't ignore the fact that you want me to stay here. You know that if I stay, many will think I'm dead or kidnapped. Soifon would be devastated and…" Yoruichi said before stopping at the very thought of what would happen between her and Soifon if she had, once again, abandoned her.

"I didn't say I'd make you stay, the choice is yours to make and I won't stop you, no matter what you decide." Ichigo stated in a voice of sheer honesty, something that came as both a source of comfort and great annoyance.

'_Why does he have to be so damn noble?_' Yoruichi wondered, her choice now becoming all the more difficult after knowing full well that whatever she decided, Ichigo wouldn't stand in her way.

"Ichigo, why don't you come with me back to the Soul Society?" Yoruichi asked, realizing that one possible avenue would allow her to make a less difficult decision.

"There are people here that look up to me, people that I see as friends, Yoruichi. The arrancar are human in a lot of ways and Aizen is just using them. He's fooled them into thinking they matter to him, and I intend to use that against him if I can." Ichigo replied.

"Ichigo, you have friends in the Soul Society, you have family in the world of the living, many of whom think your dead." Yoruichi argued, raising a very good point.

"I've thought about that Yoruichi, believe me, I have. But at the same time, if I can stop Aizen from within Las Noches, there won't be a Winter War. All things considered, what I'm trying to do will put fewer lives in danger, and you know that." Ichigo retorted.

The next few minutes were silent, Yoruichi simply staring at Ichigo and him vice a versa.

'_He never makes anything easy, does he?_' Yoruichi thought dryly, now debating what it was that she would do.

"Ichigo, you asking me to stay would put me in the same place as Aizen. He is a madman and he is behind the vizards creation, behind Kisuke and I leaving the Soul Society, and I'm sure the list only goes on and on." Yoruichi said, breaking the silence. Ichigo's eyes widened at the news, not having known that this was true.

Yoruichi saw the look of surprise and then opted to tell him a story, a story about how the vizards were created, why Urahara and Yoruichi lived in the world of the living, and specifically, how Aizen and the Hogyoku were at the dead center of the conflict.

"That's all the more reason to stop him before it gets too out of hand." Ichigo stated, causing Yoruichi to sigh.

'_I figured that wouldn't work…_' Yoruichi thought, looking back over at her former student.

"So, Yoruichi… will you stay?" Ichigo asked hopefully. He thought she would say yes, but he needed to hear it confirmed.

"I… I will stay here with you, Ichigo. But at some point, I need to let Kisuke know I'm alive, otherwise they might think I'm dead." Yoruichi replied begrudgingly. She made a mental note to include other details since she knew full well Urahara would be able to use the information to his advantage.

"I'm fine with that, just as long as he keeps his mouth shut about me being here. If he did that, then Aizen would find out. I don't know how, but he would." Ichigo stated, prompting Yoruichi to nod in understanding.

"Well, I'm tired…" Yoruichi said through a yawn, stretching one of her arms to further illustrate her words.

"I'm going to bed." Yoruichi stated before taking off her orange shirt and subsequently draping it over Ichigo's head. Now all she was currently wearing was the skin tight black tank top that she wore under her orange shirt before she climbed into Ichigo's bed and crept under the covers.

The Primera, on the other hand, just looked at Yoruichi with wide eyes as she climbed into his bed before she looked at Ichigo with an amused expression on her face.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo questioned warily.

"Where else am I supposed to sleep? Come on Ichigo, keep me safe from all the big bad arrancar here in Las Noches." Yoruichi playfully joked, though Ichigo blushed slightly at the comment along with what he was about to do.

Ichigo took off the cloak a second later, revealing himself to be wearing plain white pants and a white tank top. As his sights returned to Yoruichi, he could see the characteristically playful grin she often had when she was about to tease him.

'_I never realized how much I had missed that look of hers._' Ichigo thought as he too got into the bed, immediately after which Yoruichi cuddled up to him before giving him a brief kiss on his cheek, an action that made him blush slightly. After this was done, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes blissfully.

"Oh and Ichigo…" Yoruichi said, sounding as if she was about to say something she had almost forgotten to say.

"Yes?" Ichigo questioned, looking down at Yoruichi as she rested her head on his chest.

"If you aren't here when I wake up this time, I will do more than punch you." Yoruichi threatened in a tone that caused Ichigo to shiver, albeit slightly.

"I wouldn't even think about leaving you again, Yoruichi." Ichigo promised before closing his eyes, his words causing Yoruichi to smile before she too shut her eyes and allowed sleep to take her.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room **_

"So Lady Halibel, how'd did you do in your fight? I'll bet you kicked some serious ass." Apacci stated confidently, though Halibel didn't respond immediately.

"My opponent was not of greater strength then I, but the fight itself was… enlightening." Halibel replied, though the meaning of her words was known only to herself.

"Speaking of which…" A voice called out from the door, prompting Halibel and her three fraccion to turn their sights to none other than Nel, who showed herself to be the owner of the voice.

"Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, please return to your quarters for the night. Nelliel and I have something to… discuss." Halibel ordered, the ambiguity of her words not at all being missed by the three fraccion.

They glanced at Halibel and saw her eyes narrow slightly, and then they glanced at Nel, who appeared much the same. Not a single one of them wanted to be present for whatever was about to happen, and so, they vanished via sonido in accordance with their master's request.

"So Nelliel, I assume you are here to finish the conversation we had started in the Soul Society?" Halibel inquired, receiving a nod of confirmation from the green-haired Espada.

"Have you… acted on these feelings?" Nel questioned warily, trying to find the right words. Now was when she learned if she was in fact more in the right to pursue Ichigo, which she did believe herself to be, all things considered.

"To a degree." Halibel replied cryptically, smirking as she saw Nel's eyes narrow more so, which was clear evidence that her mind traveled to a very specific activity.

"Meaning?" Nel asked with venom making itself evident in her tone.

"I have kissed him, and I believe that he has returned my repeated gesture." Halibel replied contentedly.

Any sense of satisfaction she may have derived from saying such a thing disappeared at the sight of Nel's eyes clamping shut her hands balling in fists. It appeared as if she was about to scream something at the top of her lungs, but she appeared to have restrained herself.

"Are you well?" Halibel questioned confusedly once Nel had appeared to have regained her composure.

"I am… but you may not be after I tell you this. I have kissed Ichigo as well." Nel said through gritted teeth, her words immediately hitting Halibel like a ton of bricks.

'_From her reaction, it would seem that Ichigo kissed her back…_' Halibel thought upon realizing that Nel was likely upset with Ichigo.

Halibel's fists balled almost immediately after her realization, the anger quickly building up inside of her.

She wasn't exactly sure if she was angrier with Nelliel or with Ichigo, but one way or another, she knew she was mad.

"I apologize, but I couldn't help but overhear." Risha stated from the doorway, though only Nel shifted her vision towards the fraccion since Halibel was too caught up in controlling her evident rage.

"Hello Risha." Nel greeted cheerfully, though she was unable to muster up a smile.

"Given the topic of discussion, I believe I should inform you that I have kissed Ichigo as well." Risha stated, though she did a phenomenal job of keeping her anger hidden. Her outward appearance was unchanged, but her inner thoughts…

'_I am going to kill him._' Risha thought angrily, though she knew she would never act on said thought, or so she had assumed. It was quite hard to tell considering that there were two others that Ichigo appeared to have accepted the advances of.

'_Three?! You've got to be kidding me! The second I get my hands on you Ichigo, I am going to…_' Halibel thought before outward speech interrupted her rage induced mental tirade.

"Since it's quite clear that Ichigo doesn't think he's been taken…" Nel stated through gritted teeth, extremely upset that this seemed to be the case.

"…perhaps each of us should attempt to pursue a relationship with him, and whoever he chooses, that's that." Nel finished, being quite proud of her answer given the fact that it didn't involve fighting Halibel and Risha in a quasi-death match.

The other two seemed to give this notion significant thought, and all it really required on their part was the ability to control their anger at the moment.

"I believe we should set some ground rules if we are all agreed." Halibel said, looking at Risha to see if said fraccion was in agreement.

"First of all, we are not allowed to interfere with one another's pursuit of Ichigo. Secondly, none of us may bring up to Ichigo that this arrangement exists." Halibel listed off, getting a nod of confirmation from both Nelliel and Risha respectively.

Though each of them was extremely angry with Ichigo, they could no longer confront him about it due to the arrangement, but perhaps that was better, otherwise there might not be an Ichigo left to pursue.

"I-I also think w-we should have a rule that we're not allowed to… preform a certain 'activity' as long as Ichigo still hasn't chosen." Nel added as gracefully as she was able.

"I agree." Halibel and Risha replied simultaneously, something that surprised Nel.

In fact, the green-haired Espada had thought of that condition specifically because she knew Halibel was quite desirable in the eyes of men, and Risha was extremely attractive as well.

"If that is all, I would ask that you leave me to rest for the night, it has been a long day and I believe we could all benefit from some sleep." Halibel said, immediately after which the two other female arrancar vanished via sonido.

After the two had left, Halibel sat down on her bed and gave some serious thought about what had just happened. She knew now that, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't confront Ichigo about kissing other women, which she was extremely upset about.

That in mind, if she was going to be the one to get Ichigo to be hers, it didn't matter. So long as Ichigo hadn't preformed various actions that would result in his losing something he couldn't get back, Halibel was fine with the current situation. In fact, that was all that mattered to her. Giving herself to Ichigo was what she wanted, and she wanted Ichigo to give himself to her just the same, both being untouched by any other.

'_Ichigo… I hope to whatever being gives the worlds life that you want me in the same way I that I desire you._' Halibel thought before lying down and allowing the peace of sleep to take her.

_**Las Noches: Nelliel's Room **_

"Back so soon Lady Nelliel?" Pesche questioned after Nel abruptly appeared via sonido.

"Yes, but I'd rather not discuss it." Nel replied, sounding a bit annoyed for some reason.

"Come on now, you can tell us anything, you know what I'm talkin about?" Dondochakka prodded, his words ringing true.

'_I suppose I do need someone to talk to about this…_' Nel thought before making to speak.

"Well, for starters, I found out that Ichigo is both as dense as a rock and a glutton for punishment." Nel stated, crossing her arms and closing her eyes in order to illustrate her frustration.

"Meaning?" Dondochakka asked, sweatdropping slightly at Nel's words due to what they likely meant if one were Ichigo.

"I found out that he has kissed not only me, but Halibel and Risha as well." Nel stated, prompting Dondochakka and Pesche to widen their eyes and drop their jaws.

"He did what?!" Pesche and Dondochakka exclaimed simultaneously, prompting Nelliel to nod so as to further confirm that what she said was true.

"How could he do such a thing?" Dondochakka said overdramatically.

"I have a mind to march up to Ichigo's room and kick his…" Pesche said before Nel cut her off.

"Enough you two, it was decided that each of us are allowed to pursue a relationship with Ichigo. Do not tell Ichigo about this because it might influence his decision or put pressure on him, and that isn't good for any of us at this point." Nel stated.

"But what happens after he chooses?" Dondochakka questioned.

"At that point, I assume whoever he chooses will likely beat him within an inch of his life." Nel replied coldly, not at all liking the fact that she was one of several, apparently.

_**Las Noches: Risha's Room **_

Risha lay under the covers of her bead, her eyes open and her mind preoccupied with thoughts of what she had found out earlier today.

It likely hadn't come as much as a surprise to her as it had to Halibel and Nel considering what she had seen, but that in mind, she still didn't like the situation.

She was now one of three, and then her mind travelled back to what she had heard Yoruichi say to her when she first entered Las Noches.

'_I think she said 'kiss or kill', if I remember correctly._' Risha thought, gathering from this that Yoruichi, in fact, had feelings of some kind for Ichigo as well.

On top of that, Risha knew full well that Yoruichi had likely chosen the former, having experience that when it came to Ichigo, it was quite hard to stay mad at him.

In fact, even at this very moment, for her, it was difficult to stay mad at him. The more she thought about it, Ichigo was likely being just too innocent and dense to see something that was right in front of him, and that was, in a way, a redeeming quality, especially if one were to compare him to most, if not all, male arrancar in existence.

This was the reason Risha hadn't immediately gone into Ichigo's room and called him out on his previous actions towards Halibel and Nel. But on the other hand…

'_Jerk…_' Risha thought spitefully, knowing full well she wasn't likely to let this go in the near future.

The future in mind, she began to think of what would happen if she weren't the one to "win" Ichigo's heart.

'_Would I still be able to serve him?_' Risha wondered, giving some serious thought on the issue.

She thought Ichigo was attracted to her more so than others, but that theory was thrown out the window after her conversation with Halibel and Nel, and on top of that, she no longer knew what to think about where she and Ichigo stood as a pair.

Regardless, it was late and she'd rather not think of that scenario, at least, not yet, and this she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken by sleep.

**A/N Well, that's that and the next chapter will be posted on Friday. However, this chapter was not finished in time for my review replies, therefore I will reply to everything on Friday when I potentially have more time, but I may not be able to do so then either due to an exam in microeconomics... joy… Anyway, just know that in general thanks for each and every review, I thank you for your compliments and criticisms, and I apologize for not responding to them in this chapter. **

_**Explanations**_

**Cero Cataclysmica**: The attack itself is named after the devastating effects it has. Cataclysmico means cataclysmic in Spanish, I just changed the ending because I thought it looked better. The attack is called this obviously because it destroys, and that's its function. The reason it is so powerful is because it combines the most powerful characteristics of all three of the cero. The basic hollow presence of a cero, the Quincy and Soul Reaper aspects of Ichigo's Gran Rey Cero (Note that Ichigo's Gran Rey Cero is stronger because it contains Quincy and Soul Reaper essences), and the arrancar powers present in Cero Oscuras. It isn't made of spiritual pressure due to the fact that it is a "hybrid" cero and is capable of destroying/harming all objects, lands, or people, which is why it destroyed the gate of Sekkiseki. Ichigo obviously doesn't know why it's that strong yet, but he will eventually, and I only tell you this because I feel as if you should know.

**Yoruichi**: She will tell Urahara about Ichigo being alive, and he will obviously tell Soifon, but neither of the two will tell anyone else until the time is right, as per Yoruichi's request.

**The book and the box**: You don't find out specifically what they are for a while, but these are what the two objects were.

**Halibel, Nel, and Risha**: Essentially, they still don't know about Yoruichi, and her feelings about Ichigo having an "arrancar girlfriend" since he's been gone are obviously not going to be positive. That said, they won't beat the hell out of Ichigo… yet… and they won't be the hell out of each other… yet…

**The Soul Reapers**: What happened on their end will be next chapter, as will the Espada reporting to Aizen about their respective fights.


	36. Aftermath

**A/N Here is Chapter 36, that's just about all I have to say until the ending A/N's, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 36**

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room (The Next Morning) **_

Ichigo's eyes fluttered open, after which he was greeted with the sight of light amounts of purple hair tickling his cheek. He couldn't help but smile upon realizing whose hair this was, and the peaceful look he saw on her face only helped in increasing its size.

Slowly, he saw Yoruichi's eyes open, her looks giving off the impression that she was content and rested, a welcome sight from the mood she was in last night.

"Morning." Yoruichi greeted while giving Ichigo a smile, though the reason for this was unknown to him.

"Good morning, you sleep well?" Ichigo questioned, getting a firm nod from Yoruichi in confirmation.

"Best nights sleeps I've since… well, you could probably guess." Yoruichi stated, though her words had the effect of making Ichigo feel rather guilty.

"Sorry about that." Ichigo apologized, knowing what Yoruichi was referring to.

"I know you are, and I forgave you already. It's not like you wanted to lose your memory." Yoruichi lightly chided, though she would be lying if she said her intent wasn't to make him feel just a little bit guilty. After all, she didn't want to directly say that she would forgive him whenever he did something stupid.

"If anything, I blame Aizen, and when I see that arrogant son of a…" Yoruichi said before being cut off.

"Again, I can't let you go after Aizen just because of what happened to me. You do remember I had more than one motivation for bringing you here." Ichigo reminded, causing Yoruichi to frown slightly.

'_Well I guess I should remind him how pleasant it can be to be around me._' Yoruichi thought mischievously, her signature smirk beginning to form.

"Oh Ichigo, are you telling me that you only brought me here to help with your little rebellion?" Yoruichi pouted as she rolled on top of Ichigo, an action that caused him to blush.

"Then I guess I should remind you just how…" Yoruichi began, pushing her breasts up against Ichigo's chest and subsequently causing the Primera to blush even more so.

"…invigorating… my company can be." Yoruichi finished.

"I-I ummm… you…" Ichigo rambled.

'_I should cut him some slack, but I still need to get back at him, plus, I've missed this way too much._' Yoruichi thought upon seeing Ichigo become more flustered by the minute.

"Come on Ichigo, show me just how much you missed me." Yoruichi purred, bringing her lips closer and closer to Ichigo's.

The abrupt sound of the door opening caught both Ichigo and Yoruichi off guard, and, as a result, both froze, their lips mere inches apart.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but Lord Ai…" Ulquiorra began before stopping as his eyes came to rest on both Ichigo and the purple-haired woman.

For a minute of time, no one said a word. Yoruichi and Ichigo turned their sights to Ulquiorra, and Ulquiorra just stared at the two with a look of mild surprise, which was more along the lines of immense surprise given his personality.

"Hello Ulquiorra." Ichigo finally greeted, though neither his nor Yoruichi's position shifted.

"As I was saying…" Ulquiorra began, clearing his throat before he continued.

"Lord Aizen has called for a meeting in the chambers of the Espada and has sent me to retrieve everyone. He would also like for Yoruichi Shihoin to accompany you to this meeting." Ulquiorra stated, having the instant effect of making Yoruichi scowl.

"Is that all?" Yoruichi questioned dangerously, something that Ulquiorra picked up on.

"Yes… once again, I apologize for interrupting your… reunion." Ulquiorra said respectfully before walking out of the room and closing the door.

"He just had to ruin the moment." Yoruichi thought aloud, shifting her head to look back down at Ichigo once more.

"Well, then I guess you should get off me so that we can change and get going." Ichigo mused, though Yoruichi's characteristic smirk returned due to his words.

"Now you think I'm letting you off that easily?" Yoruichi asked rhetorically.

Before Ichigo could even respond, Yoruichi closed the distance between their respective lips and started off a passionate kiss. After a few moments, the goddess pulled back and released a slight chuckle upon seeing Ichigo's surprised expression.

"Now I can get off you." Yoruichi said jokingly before getting out of the bed, leaving Ichigo in his temporary state of shock.

"Hey Ichigo, where can I get some clothes to wear?" Yoruichi questioned, having the immediate effect of breaking Ichigo out of his trance.

"Huh? They would be in the dresser. Just pick something out to wear." Ichigo replied.

Yoruichi nodded before walking over to the pure white dresser. She opened the bottom drawer, the contents of which were all women's clothing, and picked out something that was to her liking, but as she picked it up, she realized something.

'_Why would Ichigo need to have woman's clothing in his dresser?_' Yoruichi wondered before turning around and glaring daggers at Ichigo, something that had the immediate effect of startling said Espada.

"What?" Ichigo asked confusedly, knowing full well the look of an angry woman. He had absolutely no idea what he could have done wrong given the fact that they had just woken up.

"Why do you have women's clothing in your room? Could it be that you have some little arrancar girlfriend I should know about that needs to change her clothes after spending the night with you?" Yoruichi questioned dangerously, her tone scaring Ichigo slightly.

"Of course not!" Ichigo exclaimed, immediately denying what Yoruichi had implied.

"Then I'd love to know the real reason." Yoruichi said sarcastically, obviously not believing Ichigo's denial of the fact.

"I was given the room and I just happened to have both male and female clothing in my dresser. Plus, if you bothered to look, the drawer with woman's clothing is full and all the clothes in there have been untouched." Ichigo defended.

Yoruichi looked back at the drawer and noticed that the only article of clothing that appeared to have ever been removed was the very garment she took out.

"Sorry for jumping to conclusions." Yoruichi replied in a slightly apologetic tone, though she didn't regret lashing out on the off chance that such a thing were true.

'_Just once I'd like to go a day without pissing off some woman in my life._' Ichigo thought, though this thought was accompanied by a more severe worry that had recently dawned on him.

At this point, he had kissed Halibel, Nel, Risha, and now Yoruichi, all of whom were likely, at least he hoped, unaware of one another being kissed by him. This in mind, he also knew that he was attracted to each of them, that each of them were attracted to him, and that each of them are currently living in the confines of Las Noches.

'_Crap…_' Ichigo thought, knowing full well that eventually he would have to explain a great number of things to each of them. He would have to choose one, and that wouldn't be easy, most likely because of the fact that this was definitely going to blow up in his face, preferably not in the near future, but most likely in the near future.

"Ichigo?" Yoruichi called out, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Ichigo muttered as if he had just been spacing out.

"Mind getting changed and leaving so I can do the same?" Yoruichi questioned, though Ichigo's response appeared to be delayed, as if he were still thinking about something of importance.

"Or you could stay… but I warn you, if you see me naked we might be a little late for that meeting." Yoruichi purred, giving Ichigo a seductive smirk.

"I'm good." Ichigo replied, a blush very much so present on his face.

He took his uniform and quickly put it one before vanishing via sonido, leaving a very content Yoruichi alone in his room.

'_I missed his innocence so much…_' Yoruichi thought before she began to change.

_**Las Noches: Outside the Espada's Meeting Chamber **_

'_Hopefully I'm not late._' Ichigo thought as he appeared outside the meeting room.

"Hey Ichigo." Starrk greeted, prompting Ichigo to turn his sights to the former Primera.

"Morning Starrk." Ichigo replied, giving a small smile to his new friend.

"What, no hello for me?" Lilynette asked, feigning offense.

"Sorry Lilynette, how are you?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Lilynette to smile before she replied.

"I'm good. Better now that we're not in the Soul Society anymore." Lilynette replied.

"You and me both, that place was a dump." Grimmjow complained.

"Fights weren't too bad, but the no killing was a pain in the ass." Nnoitora added.

"Only trash such as yourself would continuously complain about such a nonsensical thing." Ulquiorra chided.

"Tch." Nnotiora scoffed.

"Where is everybody else?" Ichigo questioned, noticing that several people were missing.

"Halibel, her fraccion, Nelliel and her fraccion, as well as Risha, have simply yet to arrive. Aizen has not invited Barragan as well as Yammy, Szayel, and Aaroniero due to the fact that they were not present during the battles that took place within the Soul Society." Ulquiorra replied.

"If that's the case, then why was Risha asked to be here?" Ichigo asked confusedly. He assumed that Nelliel was allowed to bring her fraccion given how close they were, so that didn't really strike him as odd.

"I believe that Gin asked for her presence. Why that is, I do not know, but perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she was the first to greet Yoruichi Shihoin upon her entry into Las Noches." Ulquiorra mused.

"Makes sense…" Ichigo trailed off uneasily, seeing one flaw in that way of thinking.

'_If Aizen asked for Risha to be here, that would make sense. But Gin asked… so why would he?_' Ichigo wondered, though his mind came to a very unwanted confusion.

'_Does he know? If he does and if he tells them before I get the chance to… they might just kill me… and Yoruichi WOULD kill me if this morning was anything to go on._' Ichigo thought.

However, he knew Gin likely couldn't know he had kissed all four of them, and despite any assumption on his own part, Gin couldn't know, and that gave him a bit of comfort. Perhaps Gin was just messing with Ichigo's head again, much the same way he had by picking out the outfits that the arrancar wore on the beach.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Nel questioned after she walked up to the group of arrancar waiting outside of the meeting room.

'_**She could offer the whole world and I still wouldn't recommend telling her what you're thinking. After all, what's the world gonna do for ya if your put in an early grave.**_' A voice called out from the back of Ichigo's mind. This time, it seemed familiar, but he had still been caught by surprise.

'_Who the hell are you?_' Ichigo questioned, though he was met with dead silence, both outwardly and inwardly.

"Ichigo?" Nel called out, sounding slightly agitated. Ichigo just assumed this was because he hadn't greeted her yet.

"Oh, sorry Nel, I had something on my mind." Ichigo apologized.

"Come on Ichigo, how hard is it to pay attention to something that is right in front of your eyes?" Pesche questioned accusingly, the intended meaning lost to Ichigo and everyone else, but clear to both Nelliel and Dondochakka.

"Yeah, what's the big idea?" Dondochakka piped in.

"Enough you two, I'm sure Ichigo is sorry." Nel said in a tone of mild contempt.

"Yeah… anyway, good morning." Ichigo finally greeted, prompting Nel to give Ichigo a small smile.

"Same to you. I trust you slept well?" Nel inquired.

"Yes, very well in fact." Ichigo replied contentedly, however he would in no way clarify why that was in his current company.

'_I wonder if Yoruichi Shihoin had anything to do with that._' Ulquiorra thought before releasing a stifled chuckle, the sound of which made each and every Espada look around confusedly to find its source.

When their eyes landed on Ulquiorra, everyone save for Ichigo and Nel looked at him with widened eyes and flabbergasted expressions.

"Did you just laugh?" Grimmjow exclaimed, sounding as if he didn't believe he was actually asking that question to the stoic green-eyed Espada.

"Of course not, I was merely clearing my throat." Ulquiorra lied, instantly dismissing the notion. Everyone took his word considering the fact that both laughing and then lying were two things that no one would have ever expected the Cuarto to do.

Though this was uncharacteristic, Ulquiorra had a very good reason for not mentioning why he was laughing, and two of the remaining three of those reasons were walking down the hallway towards him.

"Good morning master." Risha greeted after she and Halibel had come up to the group, giving Ichigo a slight bow and having the immediate effect of making Ichigo sigh.

"Good morning Risha, Halibel." Ichigo greeted with a light smile, though Halibel seemed to not have heard him.

"Good morning." Halibel replied, deciding that acting coldly towards Ichigo would be rather pointless in the long run.

"So where are you fraccio…" Ichigo said before a rather loud noise cut him off.

"What'd you just say to me?!" A female's voice came from down the hall.

"Apacci." Ichigo said, prompting Lilynette to giggle since she knew very well that he was right.

"You heard me!" Another female exclaimed rather loudly.

"Mila Rose." Ichigo said, now holding up two fingers and making Lilynette giggle more so.

"Won't you two stop being so immature, we are almost at the meeting room." Another female chided.

"And there's Sung-Sun." Ichigo finished, holding up a third finger.

"SHUT UP!" Two females seemed to exclaim.

"You'd think they'd come up with better comebacks given how often she insults them being immature." Ichigo thought aloud before the three female fraccion came into view and approached the group.

"Looks like everyone's here, so why are we still waiting?" Ichigo questioned.

_**Las Noches: Hallways Leading to the Meeting Room of the Espada**_

"So are either of you two curious as to why Ichigo really brought Yoruichi Shihoin here to Las Noches?" Gin questioned as he walked towards the meeting chamber of the Espada alongside Aizen and Tosen.

"I know exactly why he has brought her here, and it only services to my advantage." Aizen replied. His words made Gin raise an eyebrow, thinking something entirely different than Aizen currently was, but he couldn't know that.

"You intend to use her to control him?" Gin inquired, though Aizen only chuckled at his words.

"I wouldn't think of it Gin. With the information that is currently in my possession as of yesterday, I will not need to control Ichigo by any means." Aizen replied.

"What do you mean by that, Lord Aizen?" Tosen questioned, deciding to voice his confusion.

"All will be revealed in due time." Aizen replied cryptically.

"On a different topic, when do you think Halibel and Nelliel will hash it out over Ichigo?" Gin questioned.

"Pardon?" Aizen exclaimed, not understanding quite what Gin had meant. At the moment, he thought Ichigo to be romantically attached to Yoruichi Shihoin. He knew of the fact that the other three had been 'attracted to him' but such a thing wouldn't matter if he had already chosen Yoruichi.

"Something the great Lord Sosuke Aizen doesn't know? This is a rare day indeed." Gin chirped, causing Aizen to sigh. He knew exactly why the two arrancar would want to "hash it out" but he simply wanted clarification.

"Anyway… it is my belief that Halibel and Nelliel are both at odds over Ichigo. I saw how they interacted before and can safely assume this is the case. I also think that Risha has a bit of a crush on our resident Primera. Ulquiorra even mentioned to me at one point that they slept together, as in literally." Gin explained.

"Ichigo informed me of a potential relationship that could have sprouted between himself and Yoruichi Shihoin before he was summoned here to Las Noches. I believe he has chosen her as his… partner." Aizen stated as eloquently as possible.

"Perhaps it is less complicated than you make it out to be. It is entirely possible that each of them has had a romantic interaction with Ichigo Kursoaki previously and they are all now becoming aware of this, with the exception of Yoruichi Shihoin, who isn't likely to know at the moment." Tosen commented, ironically enough finding this topic of conversation interesting.

"If that were the case, then wouldn't they be upset with Ichigo?" Gin asked amusedly.

"Extremely… either that or they would extremely upset with one another. In any case, it doesn't bode well for the peace here in Las Noches." Tosen replied.

"True… but think of the entertainment value." Gin said, grinning madly at the prospect of messing extensively with Ichigo.

"I would ask that you tread carefully Gin. Emotions such as passion or desires in a romantic sense were not things I had anticipated the female arrancar to even possess. I merely worry that they will react quite negatively to your interference in the matter." Aizen stated, prompting Gin to chuckle slightly.

"I just want to give them a push in the right direction." Gin replied innocently, however Aizen knew that he would likely have to replace Gin if he went too overboard.

"I won't explicitly forbid this, but I would ask you, Kaname, to make sure that Gin doesn't do anything I would personally protest." Aizen ordered, prompting the blind man to nod in understanding.

"Looks like we're here." Gin mused as the three came into eyeshot of the group of arrancar.

"Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra greeted with a slight bow, a gesture mimicked by several others.

"Good morning all of you, I trust that everyone is well rested?" Aizen questioned, receiving nods of confirmation from most present.

"Good… then if everyone is here, I would ask that we begin the meeting." Aizen stated before opening the doors and walking into the meeting chambers.

One by one, each of the arrancar entered the room, though Gin and Tosen opted to stay behind for some reason, which was currently unknown to most.

"After you, Nel." Ichigo offered, prompting Nel to nod her head and walk through the door.

"Thanks Ichigooooooo." Nel said, her sentence being extended as she tripped, successfully throwing herself at Ichigo and pinning him to a wall.

Her chest was quite literally pressed up against his and that close contact made him blush, and the 'innocent' look that Nel was giving him did little to alleviate this.

"Sorry about that." Nel said innocently before she began to pull away at a deliberately slow pace.

This action caused Risha and Halibel to glare at Nel, and neither of these independent actions was missed by Gin.

'_Oh now this is interesting._' Gin thought, his grin becoming wider as a result.

"Don't worry Nelliel. Ichigo seems to have extensively enjoyed your little 'accident'." Gin stated, prompting Nel to giggle lightly and Ichigo's blush to deepen.

Nel then walked through the doors, followed closely by Ichigo, who was subsequently followed by Pesche, Dondochakka, Halibel, her fraccion, and Risha.

"What are you thinking Gin?" Tosen questioned, sensing the mischievous aura that emanated from Gin at the moment.

"Simply thinking of ways to entertain myself." Gin replied cryptically before walking into the meeting room.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Tosen thought aloud before following Gin into the chambers.

_**Las Noches: Espada's Meeting Chamber **_

"Ichigo." Starrk called out from next to Aizen, motioning to the seat directly to his right. Behind him was Lilynette, who was nodding eagerly as a signal for Ichigo to sit.

"Thanks Starrk." Ichigo said as he walked up to the chair and took the seat.

Across from him sat Ulquiorra, who was simply looking emotionless and respectable as always. To Ulquiorra's left, sat Nel, and behind her was her fraccion. Risha came up behind Ichigo and stood in place due to her role as Ichigo's fraccion, and the rest of the Espada filled in the other chairs.

However, Halibel had decided to get even with Nelliel for her "accidental" trip that lead to intimate contact with Ichigo. As soon as she saw Ichigo raise his hand from its position of resting on the table, she turned her breasts and angled them so that they would brush against his hand as she descended into her chair.

Upon this happening, Ichigo's eyes immediately shot open and he turned to face Halibel.

"Sorry." Halibel purred, giving Ichigo a seductive look with her eyes, something that caused Ichigo's face to become a light shade of crimson.

Gin took notice of this and turned to see Risha and Nel's respective reactions. Both glared, and Risha noticeable cringed, which was likely due to her proximity to the event.

'_Oh yes, this will definitely be fun._' Gin thought. If this were a race and Ichigo blush was a unit of measurement, then Halibel seemed to have a slight lead.

Ulquiorra, on the other hand, had noticed this as well, though he had additional information that Gin simply didn't have.

'_Something isn't right… if they were unaware of the other's attraction and were each of the impression that Ichigo was solely their own, this would likely have led to armed combat by now._' Ulquiorra thought suspiciously.

'_But if they are aware of each other's attraction and are continuously allowing such things to occur, perhaps they have agreed to stay out of each other's way._' Ulquiorra continued in his train of thought.

If this were the case, perhaps Ichigo knew that he had a choice to make. But that couldn't be the case because otherwise he would have spurned Yoruichi's advances, which he obviously did not if the position he found them in was any indication. Needless to say, this wasn't going to end well, and he knew it at this point.

"Greetings my arrancar and congratulations on your successful venture into the Soul Society." Aizen stated, bringing the meeting to order.

"I would like to specifically thank our Primera Espada for successfully retrieving the items I had requested from the vault. The information was most… enlightening." Aizen added in a cryptic manner.

"What'd you even get from that thing anyway?" Starrk questioned, looking at Ichigo across the table.

"Some box and an old book." Ichigo replied nonchalantly, prompting Aizen to chuckle.

"I assure you what I had you retrieve holds far more value than an 'old book' or some random box." Aizen said, though Ichigo just lightly shrugged his shoulder.

"Speaking of things you brought back, where is that Yoruichi person?" Grimmjow inquired, noticing that they were short a member of the group that was requested.

'_Crap! I forgot to wait for her to finish changing!_' Ichigo realized.

"I'll go get her." Ichigo volunteered before it no longer became necessary to do so.

On the back of his head, Ichigo felt two soft, rather large, objects press against his hair and neck.

"No need to do that Ichigo." Yoruichi said, her breasts still pressed to the back of Ichigo's neck. The position that the two were currently in drew many surprised stares from those present and a collective glare from three certain female arrancar.

'_This had better not be what I think it is._' Halibel thought agitatedly, though she chose not to voice it.

'_Another one? You've got to be KIDDING ME!_' Nel thought, keeping an outwardly emotionless demeanor. She wasn't so quick to jump to conclusions, and therefore she would file this away for later.

"H-hey there Yoruichi, how'd you find your way here?" Ichigo questioned shakily, his face becoming redder the longer Yoruichi chose to stay in her current position.

"Well after we woke up and you left… I just tracked your spiritual pressure from your room. It was pretty easy considering that your spiritual pressure fluctuated a few times." Yoruichi explained, though she wasn't aware of what had caused the spike of Ichigo's spiritual energy.

Her explanation didn't go unnoticed by either Halibel, Nel, or Risha, each of whom picked up on the beginning of her sentence.

'_When 'we' woke up… this is either a misunderstanding, or Ichigo spent the night with her…_' Halibel, Nel, and Risha thought similarly.

'_If she simply took him for her own…_' Halibel thought, though she would wait on her anger until she knew what was true of the situation.

"Hahahahahahahaha!" Grimmjow began to cackle, practically rolling out of his chair. He knew perfectly well what the reason was, and it was excruciatingly funny to him.

"What's so funny?" Yoruichi asked confusedly.

"So when you arrived just now, did his spiritual energy spike at all?" Grimmjow questioned, causing Ichigo to widen his eyes slightly since he knew very well what the source of the energy spikes were.

"Yes… what exactly are you trying to say?" Yoruichi questioned dangerously, her eyes becoming narrower by the second after she had shifted her eyes towards several of the females in the room.

"Well…" Grimmjow said before being cut off.

"HEY GRIMMJOW!" Lilynette shouted as she popped up from behind the Octava's chair.

"GAH!" Grimmjow yelped, having not expected the child-like arrancar to simply pop up from behind him.

"What, brat?" Grimmjow grumbled.

"Nothing." Lilynette simply replied, causing Grimmjow's eyebrow to twitch.

"Hahahaha." Nnoitora laughed out from next to Grimmjow, finding the instance quite hilarious all things considered.

"Shut it Nnoitora… damn kid…" Grimmjow muttered.

'_As interesting as it would be…_' Aizen thought, deciding to speak and call the meeting to a start instead of watching Ichigo struggle.

"I would ask that this meeting come to order now that everyone has arrived." Aizen stated, deciding that he would delay Ichigo's necessary explanations until the meeting was adjourned and important matters were dealt with.

"Miss Shihoin, I believe you should take seat, otherwise our Primera may lose consciousness." Aizen stated in a voice of slight amusement.

"I'll stand." Yoruichi replied in a tone backed by a slight amount of venom, simply pulling her chest back from Ichigo's neck.

"I wish to compliment you on your entrance, even I had difficulties sensing your arrival." Aizen said, prompting Yoruichi to scowl.

"Just remember how hard it is to sense me when you sleep at night." Yoruichi replied, prompting Aizen to raise a brow and many others in the room to grow uneasy, though they chose to say nothing.

'_She has a lot of guts… if she truly isn't attempting a relations ship with Ichigo, then I should admire her bravery._' Halibel thought out of slight admiration.

"Oh? If that is how you truly feel, then tell me this. Why is it that you despise me? Is it because of my part in the exile of Kisuke Urahara and the creation of the vizards, or because of my role in Ichigo Kurosaki becoming what he is now?" Aizen questioned, smirking cockily upon seeing Yoruichi ball her fists and slightly grit her teeth.

Ichigo frowned at this, knowing full well that Aizen had just touched one two very sore subjects with the purple-haired goddess of the flash.

'_Not good._' Ichigo thought, unable to describe the situation in any further detail.

"Is there a point in asking her that?" Starrk questioned, sensing that Ichigo likely was at a loss for words at the moment.

"Yes… yes there is. If she is to stay here in Las Noches, I need to be sure she will not cause any… disturbances." Aizen explained, his point being very clear and rational.

"If you're asking me not to kill you, then you have nothing to worry about. I agreed to stay here and I promised Ichigo I wouldn't do anything like that… piss me off though, and all bets are off." Yoruichi replied, prompting Aizen to chuckle at the expected warning.

"I wouldn't think of it." Aizen replied, having no feelings of hostility towards the goddess of the flash. If anything, her being present in Las Noches gave him an opening to speed up his plan and potentially add yet another asset to his current arsenal.

"You may leave now Miss Shihoin. That is all I wished to know." Aizen stated.

Yoruichi glanced down at Ichigo before vanishing via flash step a moment later, heading back to Ichigo's room in order to wait for him.

"Now onto actual business… tell me of your battles." Aizen said, glancing at the end of the table towards Grimmjow and Nnoitora as a sign that he wished for the two to begin the report.

"I along with my fellow fraccion fought two Soul Reaper lieutenants. One appeared to be from the tenth, and the other from the fifth. The third fighter that joined after the lieutenant of the fifth appeared to be a member of squad thirteen, and her fighting ability was easily that of a lieutenant." Sung-Sun said, beginning the retelling of recent events.

"Oh? Ichigo, do you know the names of these three Soul Reapers?" Gin inquired, seeing a good opportunity to see if Ichigo had, in fact, regained the rest of his memory.

"I guess so…" Ichigo trailed off, scratching his head as he tried to recall the squads of the three fighters that faced Halibel's fraccion.

"The lieutenant of squad ten is Rangiku Matsumoto, and I know for a fact that the one from the thirteenth is Rukia Kuchiki…. but I never met the lieutenant of squad five. All I know is that she is a friend of Toshiro's and her name is Momo." Ichigo replied, satisfying Gin, and inadvertently Aizen, with his answer.

Aizen then glanced at Grimmjow, a sign that he wished for the Octava to sound off his opponent.

"I fought some captain named Byakuya Kuchiki. His Bankai was annoying, but the fight was good and he was pretty even with me, even if I'm not happy to admit that last part." Grimmjow sneered, his pride getting the better of him at the moment.

"At first, I fought three nobody's, but then something weird happened. Two warriors that seemed like they were Soul Reapers dressed as humans showed up. They had these weird looking hollow masks and called themselves vizards." Nnoitora stated.

"Halibel and I encountered two of these vizards as well." Nel added.

"One of them appeared in my fight too." Starrk said.

"The vizards are former Soul Reapers that were exiled but have now allied with the Soul Society in the aftermath of Ichigo Kurosaki's disappearance. They are simply failed experiments, the predecessors of the arrancar." Aizen explained.

"The Soul Reapers obtain the ability to access hollow powers in the form of a mask through what is called an inner hollow. They can only use these powers for a limited amount of time, but the power itself is quite impressive compared to that of a normal Soul Reaper." Aizen continued.

"What level of power were the vizards when they were normal Soul Reapers?" Starrk questioned, wanting simple clarification.

"Four of the vizards are former captains. Those among them are Kensei Muguruma, Love Aikawa, Rojuro Otoribashi, and Shinji Hirako. The vizards who are now former lieutenants are Lisa Yadomaru, Hachigen Ushoda, Hiyori Sarugaki, and Mashiro Kuna." Aizen answered, listing off the names and giving the Espada a general sense of who they were up against.

'_And you betrayed them all… even your own captain._' Ichigo thought, keeping such things to himself.

"Who was it that you faced, Ulquiorra?" Aizen questioned, getting things back on track.

"My first opponent was the captain of the thirteenth division, Ukitake, I believe his name was. His fighting abilities were quite impressive and surpassed my own when he was using the full spectrum of his abilities. However, I believe he possesses some form of illness that prevented him from continuing our battle." Ulquiorra began.

"That is indeed true. Captain Ukitake has an illness that often inhibits his readiness to fight or run his division. All the same, he is a more than capable fighter and possesses one of the three most powerful Bankai known to Soul Reapers. I, however, have never seen it, nor do I know what it is called." Aizen stated.

"After he was incapacitated, Kisuke Urahara came to face me. He was an incredibly deadly opponent and possesses far more intelligence that he lets on. His fighting style relies on these masks that distract the opponent from the fierce warrior that lies beneath the surface." Ulquiorra continued, sensing that Aizen was done his elaboration on Ukitake.

"An apt description if ever there was one." Aizen mused, knowing full well that Urahara was the only man in the entirety of existence whose intelligence exceeded that of his own.

"Nelliel, who did you and Halibel end up facing?" Gin asked, wanting to know the final specifics before they got to Ichigo.

"Halibel first engaged a captain by the name of Hitsugaya. His abilities were fascinating and deadly if one was not prepared, but he was defeated all the same." Nel began.

"Before we could ensure he would no longer fight, two of the so called vizards appeared and fought with us. They simply stalled for the captain while he prepared an attempt to trap us in a prison of ice. Wonderweiss freed us, and then we were asked to depart." Halibel continued.

"Where is Wonderweiss anyway?" Ichigo questioned, looking around the meeting room to see if the child-like arancar were simply playing around.

"Wonderweiss requested that he be allowed to skip the meeting. For obvious reasons, this request was granted." Tosen explained.

"I fought some guy named Kyoraku. Neither of us really gave it their all, so there's not much to say." Starrk said lazily, causing Lilynette so sigh.

"And now we fall onto our dear Primera." Gin chirped in a dramatic fashion, bringing all eyes to Ichigo.

"Tell us Ichigo, who were your opponents?" Aizen asked, being somewhat eager to know.

"I fought Kenpachi Zaraki first. That fight ended the second Wonderweiss said he found Yoruichi, but then two of the vizards showed up and delayed me. Hiyori and Shinji fought pretty hard, but Hiyoiri's temper gave me an opening to take out Shinji pretty quickly. After that, Captain Sofion showed up with Yoruichi, and I had to take her out before I could talk to Yoruichi, and that was that." Ichigo replied, causing Aizen to smirk contentedly.

'_It would appear that the Soul Society is at a disadvantage. They will likely attempt to increase their strength through training… excellent._' Aizen thought, the pieces of his plan now coming together.

"I believe Wonderwiess would like to thank you for defeating Captain Soifon. From his attitude, he truly disliked fighting her." Tosen stated, prompting Ichigo to chuckle slightly.

"It would appear that our current strength is sufficient to defeat the Soul Society in the future. This bodes well for us, and I would like to thank all of the Espada and those that accompanied them on this venture." Aizen began, giving a sense of pride to many of those present.

"However, none deserve more credit than you, Ichigo. I once again would like to thank you for retrieving those two objects." Aizen stated, eliciting a nod from Ichigo as a sign that he acknowledged Aizen's thanks.

"You may all leave now, enjoy your day." Aizen stated before getting out of his chair and walking towards the door.

'_Bout time, I need to make sure that Yoruichi understand she can't do anything that rash again… doing things without thinking is usually my department._' Ichigo thought, being unable to take his mind off of what Yoruichi had said to Aizen.

He, along with the others, began to walk towards the door, though Ichigo, having been deep in thought, missed the cold aura the emanated from Risha.

'_Oh now this just won't do…_' Gin thought upon seeing that Risha appeared to be upset. He had figured it was because both Halibel and Nel, along with Yoruichi, had teased Ichigo to an extent, and Gin kne for a fact that Risha's personality wasn't going to let her stoop to that level… on her own.

Deciding to intervene, Gin opted to "accidently" trip Risha, thereby causing her to fly forwards towards Ichigo.

"Wo-woah." Risha exclaimed after losing her balance. Ichigo turned to catch her, but this only caused both Risha and Ichigo to fall to the ground.

Their faces were now inches away from each other, and Risha's ample chest was now crushed against Ichigo's body, the sudden combination of the two making Ichigo and Risha blush quite noticeably.

"S-sorry Ichigo." Risha apologized, though Ichigo immediately caught onto her use of his actual name as opposed to 'lord' or 'master'.

"Don't mention it… now can you get off me, please?" Ichigo requested sheepishly, prompting Risha's blush to deepen before she complied.

'_That had best be an accident for your sake._' Halibel and Nel thought similarly, each giving Gin a glare as he casually walked out of the meeting room, whistling in an innocent manner as he went on.

"So where are you off to Ichigo?" Starrk questioned after the group made its way out of the meeting room.

"I've got to make sure Yoruichi isn't plotting to kill Aizen." Ichigo replied before vanishing via sonido.

After he had left, Halibel turned to face Ulquiorra, though the green-eyed Espada was nowhere to be seen.

'_Perhaps he does know something…_' Halibel thought, her suspicion only growing at the moment.

"Risha, Nelliel, may I speak to you two in my room for a moment?" Halibel questioned, sounding as if this was related to their agreement.

"Of course, lead the way." Nel replied.

Halibel gave a quick glance to her fraccion before disappearing in the static buzz of sonido, Nel and Risha following suit a moment later.

"So… what are we supposed to do?" Apacci wondered aloud.

"We should try to fix how awful of a fighter you are." Sung-Sun joked, giggling slightly after seeing Apacci's eyebrow twitch.

"Why you…" Apacci growled out before turning to face the olive-haired fraccion. Sung-Sun, however, had opted to leave before Apacci could rebut.

"Can you believe her?" Apacci asked rhetorically, turning to Mila Rose. However, she, like Sung-Sun, had vanished.

"Whatever." Apacci mumbled before vanishing a moment later through the use of sonido.

_**Soul Society: 4**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Patient's Ward **_

"Your condition is now stable and your wounds will heal within the next week. You are quite lucky Lieutenant Abarai, if those scythes had pierced just a few inches further, you would likely be out of commission for several months." Unohana said, addressing the red-headed lieutenant that lay on a bed in front of her.

"Lucky me." Renji commented dryly, not having taken this as a mood elevator.

"Renji, be grateful for Captain Unohana's healing. Without her help, you would likely be prohibited from continuing your duties as a lieutenant." Byakuya stated as he walked into the room, something that made Renji instantly sweat drop.

"Of course captain. I apologize, Captain Unohana, and I thank you for healing my wounds." Renji said in a panic, prompting Unohana to giggle slightly at his reaction to Byakuya's reprimand.

"Think nothing of it lieutenant. As a healer, it is my pleasure to be of service." Unohana replied in a sweet tone before walking out of the room.

Once Unohana had left the room to continue checking on those injured during the Espada's attack, a dead silence crept into the atmosphere of the room, with neither Byakuya nor Renji speaking a word to one another for several moments.

"I… I'm sorry, captain… I failed." Renji finally said, feeling rather guilty that he had allowed an opponent to get the better of him so easily.

Renji half expected Byakuya to agree with him. In general, his captain hadn't even looked like he was injured during his fight, and Byakuya had likely faced an Espada that was either of a slightly higher or slightly lower rank than the one he faced. If that was any indication of Renji's strength as it stands, he had a long way to go before he even had the ability to land a hit on his captain.

"I would not agree with that assessment. You faced one of the Espada and lived. Though you lost your battle, use the life you kept to your advantage." Byakuya replied, causing Renji to raise a curious brow.

"What do you mean by that, captain?" Renji questioned with curiosity evident in his tone.

"Your opponent allowed you to live. Use that to your advantage and become stronger, use this defeat as a lesson to always be humble and to always learn from your defeats. But most importantly, use this as motivation to grow stronger." Byakuya explained.

'_If he is telling me this… then that means he believes I can grow stronger as well._' Renji thought upon hearing Byakuya's words.

His captain wouldn't have told him such things if he truly believed that Renji had achieved his maximum potential. If that were the case, then Byakuya would have told Renji very bluntly to accept his inferior fighting abilities and move on with his life. But he had chosen to tell him that he could grow stronger, that he should try to grow stronger, and that was more than Renji could have ever hoped for.

"Thank you… captain." Renji said before shutting his eyes and beginning to rest.

'_Best I leave him to his recovery._' Byakuya thought before getting up and walking out of the door.

_**Soul Society: 4**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Patient's Ward (Room of Captain Ukitake) **_

"His condition seems to have normalized and he should be perfectly fine." Unohana stated upon examining the now conscious captain of the thirteenth.

"That is good news." Ukitake stated in an upbeat tone, quite content in hearing that he would be able to continue his duties as a captain as soon as possible.

"Good to see you're still in good spirits, Jushiro." Kyoraku commented, smiling down at his longtime friend.

"I would prefer to be in good spirits before asking this. What happened after I was brought to the fourth?" Ukitake asked in a serious voice.

"Long and short of it is that all the arrancar got away, but they didn't go away empty handed." Kyoraku replied in a serious voice, causing Ukitake's eyes to wide.

"Who did they take Shunsui?" Ukitake exclaimed, dreading that this was the case.

"As far as I know, they didn't take anyone, but they did get away with items that were taken from the vault." Kyoraku replied, though his words did very little to ease Ukitake's worries.

"How is the head captain taking it?" Ukitake asked in a voice just above a whisper, immediately after which both he, Unohana, and Kyoraku, frowned.

"Head Captain Yamamoto is currently making an attempt to find what the Espada left with." Unohana replied.

"You don't think they took the Oken, do you?" Ukitake asked, his tone illustrating the fact that he was unsure of weather this was even a remote possibility.

"Sadly, neither of us have a way of knowing. The location of the Oken was never told to us, and we can't assume that it was placed within the vault, despite the fact that the vault contains items of extreme importance to the Soul Society." Kyoraku answered, himself believing that Yamamoto wouldn't even consider placing the Oken in a location that was so obvious if someone knew of the vaults existence.

"One thing still bothers me, how would Sosuke Aizen know about the vault in the first place? The head captain has told only us of its existence and no text exists of the area to my knowledge." Unohana thought aloud, her words causing curiosity to plague both Kyoraku and Ukitake.

"Perhaps he discovered it after his alleged death?" Ukitake mused, recalling that Aizen has been able to spend a substantial amount of time within the chambers.

"All that would allow him is the ability to find the vault, not know of its contents. The arrancar clearly had the goal of taking something from the vault, and I can only assume that this was Aizen's goal in sending the Espada here." Unohana stated.

"Then that would mean that he likely knew what the contents of the vault were. Otherwise, he would have no reason for risking so much." Kyoraku thought aloud.

"But that still doesn't answer the question of how he came to know about it in the first place." Ukitake commented.

The group stayed silent for a moment, each giving some serious thought to how this could be the case. None of them could come up with anything, but then again, in the numerous things Aizen had been behind, none of them had been able to see anything coming until it was too late. Therefore, they believed Aizen knew exactly what he was going to do, and if the risks of getting the items from the vault were any indication of the benefit it would bring to Aizen, then they were in for one hell of a surprise, and that worried them.

"Perhaps the head captain would know." Unohana mused, prompting both Ukitake and Kyoraku to nod in agreement.

Suffice to say, they would bring this up to Yamamoto when next they saw him. But for now, they had other things that needed to be attended to.

_**Soul Society: 4**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Private Room (Captain Soifon)**_

"Are you feeling alright, Soifon?" Urahara questioned, only getting a huff in response from the raven-haired captain.

"Is that a yes?" Urahara questioned, though his inquiry earned him a sharp slap to the back of his head from Soifon.

"Yup, you're fine." Urahara grumbled, rubbing the back of his head slightly.

"Of course I am, now where is Lady Yoruichi?" Soifon asked dangerously, as if illustrating that if she didn't receive and answer within a minute, there would be violent consequences.

"Actually, I was going to ask you that question." Urahara stated, sounding genuinely lost.

'_What?_' Soifon thought out of confusion. Her memory was cloudy for a brief instance, but then she recalled what had happened, and then her eyes widened in shock.

"Tell me what happened." Urahara said in a soft voice, gathering that whatever occurred had rattled Soifon slightly.

"I… I remember seeing a powerful cero fire into the skies of the Soul Society from the eleventh division's barracks. Lady Yoruichi had desired that we examine the source of the attack, and when we arrived, we saw a hooded arrancar that claimed to be an Espada." Soifon began, prompting Urahara to nod considering he thought this much to be true already.

"He was standing around a destroyed area of the barracks and I could see two of the vizards along with Captain Zaraki tossed to the side. Each appeared wounded, but not to a high degree. When we confronted him, he knew both of us by name and knew that each of us were Hakuda experts. He opted to defeat us in the method we were most accustomed to, and before I knew it, he had knocked me out." Soifon continued, ending on a bitter note before pausing momentarily.

"He… he was too fast… the only person I have ever seen with that kind of speed was Lady Yoruichi herself. I had the sinking feeling that he was holding back as well, and I tried to stay awake, but I was unable… is Lady Yoruichi injured? Has she been found?" Soifon asked in a quiet voice.

"She hasn't been seen or heard from since the meeting this morning." Urahara began, practically causing Sofion to have a heart attack.

"But I don't think she has been injured. No blood was seen and all the rubble was cleared within the past twenty four hours… but that's what worries me, that she hasn't been found yet." Urahara continued, though Sofion's worry was replaced with slight curiosity at what could possibly make the nonchalant shopkeeper feel worried about something.

"What do you mean by that, Kisuke Urahara?" Soifon inquired, wanting more elaboration on the former captain's thought process.

"Now I know Yoruichi had feelings for Ichigo… you likely already know this. And we both know that Ichigo left for Las Noches some time ago, but he hasn't returned and Orihime insists that he is dead. We also know that the connection that Ichigo has with his body has been severed, which backs up Orihime's theory." Urahara began, though Sofion grew impatient with his words.

"May you please say something I don't already know?" Soifon asked impatiently, glaring slightly at the shopkeeper.

"I'm getting there… now, two things are likely to have happened to Ichigo. Either he really is dead, or he is alive and is being held prisoner in Las Noches, which would make sense if Aizen's goal was to disorganize us. On top of that, I also believe that Ichigo may have had romantic feelings towards Yoruichi… did she tell you what happened before he disappeared?" Urahara questioned.

Soifon looked at Urahara in an odd fashion before her eyes nearly budged out of her head. She recalled hearing the story and thought that Ichigo would have had to been a fool to have resisted Yoruichi's advances. This in mind, she also knew that Ichigo Kurosaki was quite a skilled warrior, even if she'd never admit that to his face. If Aizen had gone to such trouble, perhaps his plan was to get Ichigo to fight for him instead of for the Soul Society.

However, Ichigo was likely far too noble to go along and join Aizen, and she knew this to be true. So, if Aizen wanted to accomplish this, he would have to manipulate Ichigo in some way, likely through threatening someone he held dear.

"You don't mean…" Soifon trailed off in a surprised voice, prompting Urahara to nod.

"It is possible that Yoruichi was kidnapped." Urahara confirmed.

"I… I believe it may have been a mutual understanding…" Soifon said in a disappointed voice, hanging her head slightly the more she thought about that possibility.

'_What is she talking about?_' Urahara wondered, knowing full well that Yoruichi would sooner die that allow herself to be used as Aizen's pawn.

Soifon was aware of the feelings, and the level of which, Yoruichi possessed for Ichigo. That, coupled with the fact that she wanted to know what happened to Ichigo, would likely mean that if the Espada told Yoruichi that Ichigo was alive and in Las Noches, and if she believed such a thing, then it was entirely possible that she went along with it on her own.

"Her feelings for Ichigo… they may have caused her to make a poor decision." Soifon explained without saying anything that she believed would betray Yoruichi's trust.

Urahara's eyes widened at this, knowing full well that only one emotion would cause Yoruichi to make a bad decision. It had been the only one she wasn't experienced in, and that worried him.

"This information stays between us until we know exactly what happened, alright?" Urahara asked, eliciting a nod of confirmation from Soifon as a sign that she wholeheartedly agreed.

_**Soul Society: 11**__**th**__** Division's Barracks, Destroyed Portion **_

'_I can't believe I let him catch me off guard like that…_' Kenpachi thought as he sat and stared at the ground of the destroyed section of his barracks.

He hadn't even bothered to stay in the fourth division after his wounds were tended. In fact, he didn't even think he needed to get his wounds healed in the first place. But the second he was released, he came back to the cite of the battle he had with the hooded Espada.

The captain couldn't help but think back to what had transpires during the fight. He was too caught up in the battle to think on what was happening. He had released his full power and still not managed to easily defeat his opponent, who had yet to release the full extent of his own power.

'_Even at full strength… I wasn't even able to get him to release his sword._' Kenpachi thought in a rare instance of mild dissatisfaction with his current level of strength.

The only source of comfort that he may have received would have been knowing that the Espada he faced was the strongest of them, but he didn't know that considering that his opponent hadn't even given his name, let alone his rank.

He hadn't even bothered to ask how everything turned out. He expected that the arrancar had somehow escaped given the fact that the captains were either in the medical division visiting the wounded or rebuilding the destroyed barracks', which they wouldn't be doing if they had managed to capture any of the Espada.

"Hi Kenny!" Yachiru chirped, though Kenpachi didn't appear to respond to this.

"Hey…" Kenpachi replied in a quiet voice, something that caused Yachiru to look at him with a confused expression on her face.

"Why so glum Kenny?" Yachiru questioned innocently. Kenpachi chuckled at this, knowing full well that Yachiru was just curious about why he appeared deep in thought and less boisterous than normal.

"Nothing Yachiru… nothing at all." Kenpachi replied. However, the pink-haired lieutenant frowned at her captain and furrowed her brows, knowing full well he was lying.

"Is this because you think you lost to that Espada? Kenny, he didn't kill you and then he ran away, so it's a tie." Yachiru stated, causing Kenpachi's eyes to widen before he jerked his head in order to look at Yachiru.

"What'd you just say?" Kenpachi questioned surprised.

"I said it was a tie." Yachiru repeated, sounding slightly confused.

Hearing Yachiru's reaction reminded Kenpachi of how his first fight with Ichigo had ended. Even back then, Yachiru had said something similar jus to convince him that he didn't really lose. His mind then traveled to a very specific phrase his opponent had used during the fight.

'Sorry'… the word repeated in his head multiple times as he dwelled on what happened next. His opponent had apologized before ending the fight, and that didn't even make any sense at all given that they were enemies. On top of that, his opponent had known who Yachiru was, who he was, and knew exactly how he liked to fight, as if he knew firsthand.

'_It's probably just a coincidence…_' Kenpachi thought.

"What're you thinking now Kenny?" Yachiru inquired, noticing that her captain appeared to be deep in thought.

"Just that I think I need to get stronger… tell me, who do you think I should fight first?" Kenpachi asked with his grin forming on his lips, the very sight of which caused Yachiru to jump for joy.

_**Soul Society: Unknown Location **_

Within a cave somewhere off in the forests of the Soul Society, the captain of the tenth sat, meditating in some fashion, appearing as if he were within his inner world.

_**Hitsugaya's Inner World**_

'_I'm here now._' Hitsugaya thought upon opening his eyes. He was greeted with the sight of a vast area of land made of ice, complete with pillars, cliffs, and a rough landscape.

Snow did not fall at the moment, but the air felt cold enough to chill any living soul to the bone, as was characteristic of his powers source.

"_**Welcome to your inner world, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya.**_" A colossal dragon of ice greeted as he curled around a nearby pillar of ice.

"You don't have to be so formal, we are part of the same soul, you know." Hitsugaya replied, scowling slightly at the large ice dragon.

"_**Given that you always prefer to be addressed as captain, I would ask that you pick a preference and stick with it, otherwise I may as well call you that kid I give my power to.**_" The dragon replied.

"Fair enough… I trust you know why I am here, Hyorinmaru?" Hitsugaya inquired, causing the dragon to smirk.

"_**Indeed I am… you wish to explore the secrets of your Bankai, do you not?**_" Hyorinmaru asked knowingly, his smirk only increasing in size as his partner nodded in response.

'_**Then it is time… his desire to grow more powerful has never been greater, and his determination is evident.**_' Hyorinmaru thought.

That in mind, there was the fact of the matter that the dragon could not simply give the captain all of his power and abilities, they needed to be earned, as was the case with all forms of power.

"_**And why do you wish to ask me of its secrets. Would training by yourself not be a better alternative?**_" Hyorinmaru questioned, shifting his position on the spire slightly.

"You are my zanpakuto, therefore none know the depths of my Bankai's powers more so than you." Hitsugaya replied, his words making Hyorinmaru inwardly chuckle.

"_**So you truly believe I possess the knowledge that will allow you to become more adept with your Bankai?**_" Hyorinmaru inquired, eliciting a nod in the affirmative from the white-haired captain.

'_**Good to see his intelligence hasn't deteriorated with his pride since yesterday.**_' Hyorinmaru thought, knowing full well that the reason his master wanted to become stronger was because of his defeat.

"_**Now for the most important question… why do you deserve this knowledge?**_" Hyorinmaru asked, rather looking forward to how his leader would answer.

"Weather I deserve your power at this moment in time is irrelevant. I need to become more adept with my Bankai, and therefore I will earn the power through whatever means you deem necessary." Hitsugaya answered, casing the dragon to smirk.

"_**It is good to hear that you do not expect me to simply give you the knowledge you seek… but the trial you must face will be of my design and you will complete it at a later date.**_" Hyorinmaru stated, prompting Hitsugaya to frown at his response.

"Very well… I will leave you to your thoughts." Hitsugaya stated before vanishing in one brief flash of light.

'_**He will grow stronger… but how strong he becomes, is not up to me.**_' Hyorinmaru thought before shutting his eyes and continuing his rest.

_**Soul Society: 4**__**th**__** Division's Barracks **_

"How's she holdin up, Shinji?" Love questioned as he along with the other vizards, save for their leader and Hiyori, walked into the room.

"She's fine… pissed off as usual, but fine." Shinji replied.

"And yourself?' Lisa inquired.

Shinji currently had a large series of bandages wrapped around his torso, acting as a shield for the burns he received from the cero if his opponent.

"I'll manage." Shinji said, though he sounded as if his mind was elsewhere. This didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room, each knowing very well when Shinji had something important on his mind.

"What's up?" Love asked with a raised brow, deciding to be the one to speak on their collective curiosity.

"I was just thinkin about the battle we had with that hooded Espada… he was an odd arrancar." Shinji though aloud.

"He threatened to kill all of us if we didn't let them leave, what about that is weird for someone who fights for Aizen?" Lisa inquired.

"Two things… one, the way he fought us. He apologized before he tried to take out Hiyori, and then even after each of us was beaten, he didn't finish us off." Shinji began, though he paused for a moment.

"And…" Rose trailed off, noticing that Shinji had left out the other difference.

"The second thing was the one that bothered me the most. When he threatened to kill us all of if we didn't let them escape, he seemed like he was serious. Not about firing it off, but about the fact that it could have done what he said." Shinji replied, getting the instant effect of alerting Lisa to his train of thought.

"So you're wondering why he wouldn't just end it right there." Lisa realized.

"Exactly. Maybe that attack doesn't kill all of us, but anyone who wouldn't be able to escape prolly couldn't have lived if what he said was true. So why just let us live? It doesn't make sense." Shinji thought aloud.

"Maybe that cero of his could have backfired and taken out some of his comrades." Rose mused.

"I don't think so… he seemed to be the leader of the Espada that came here. If that was the case, he'd probably be the closest to Aizen out of all the Espada since he would be his top soldier, and I don't think Aizen would have ordered him to spare the lives of his comrades if he had a shot at taking out most of the Soul Society's fighters." Shinji replied.

"Maybe Aizen didn't order the attack." Lisa thought aloud, causing several to look at her in an odd fashion.

"Think about it. Why risk sending so many of your top warriors here to the heart of the Soul Society when he could simply wait until the Hogyoku has awakened so that he could invade Karakura Town? Sure they took something from the vault, but I don't really think anything short of taking the Oken itself would justify such a risky invasion." Lisa added.

That much was true, Aizen likely didn't have all that much to gain from sending the arrancar to invade the Soul Society, especially since the risk of losing his top soldiers was quite real.

"It's not risky if they won, Lisa." Shinji stated in an annoyed tone, obviously bitter about freshly proclaimed defeat they had suffered the previous day.

"Still, he would have no way of knowing how strong the Espada were in comparison to the captains or us for that matter." Lisa countered, raising a good point.

"All things taken into consideration, this entire situation makes me worried." Shinji stated.

"Why might that be?" Rose inquired, sensing that Shinji wished to elaborate.

"Back when Aizen was my lieutenant, I always knew that he was dangerous, that he was always up to something. I knew one day he would try to take me down, betray me in some way. I didn't know how, but I knew what he intended to do. Now I have absolutely no idea what he intends to do, and because I don't know that, I can only imagine the horrible result." Shinji explained.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room **_

'_How long is that damn meeting supposed to last?_' Yoruichi wondered, tapping her fingers on the bedspread to illustrate her boredom.

She currently sat on the foot of Ichigo's bed, waiting for him to return from the meeting Aizen had called. She half expected Ichigo was doing this on purpose because she "technically" implied that she was capable of killing Aizen in his sleep.

A second later, the abrupt buzz of sonido could be heard, immediately after which Yoruichi widened her eyes and brought her fist back, making to punch whoever, or whatever had just entered her room.

"Hello Yorui…" Ichigo greeted, though he stopped upon seeing Yoruichi's fist not even an inch from his stomach.

"Don't startle me like that, Ichigo. You know I'm not used to hearing sonido come from someone I don't consider an enemy." Yoruichi stated before crossing her arms and sitting back down on the bed.

"Sorry… be forewarned though, Risha has a habit of sneaking up on people." Ichigo said.

"I already have experience in that regard. The second I got here, I nearly knocked her teeth out." Yoruichi replied nonchalantly.

"Okay…" Ichigo trailed off before getting to a relevant topic.

"Aside from that… what the HELL were you doing back there?!" Ichigo shouted, something Yoruichi had expected.

'_Here we go…_' Yoruichi thought dryly.

"Explain to me why you thought threatening Aizen was a good idea." Ichigo requested.

"Do you really need me to explain why I did that?" Yoruichi snapped.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you do. I could understand being angry with him after everything you told me, but you have to realize that on a whim he would have someone, if not everyone, in that room "deal" with you." Ichigo replied, not about to let up in an argument he knew he had the opportunity to win.

Ichigo's words were met with silence on the part of Yoruichi, who appeared to be avoiding a response given that she couldn't really justify her attitude without telling Ichigo _exactly_ how she felt, and that wasn't something she wanted to say given that it was neither the right time, nor the right place.

"Yoruichi… I know it's going to be difficult, but please try not to confront Aizen, if only for my sake. I… I can't even begin to think of what I'd do if he sent you back to the world of the living, or worse." Ichigo stated, his words causing Yoruichi to smile. He cared about her, and that was a good start.

"Alright… I won't threaten Aizen anymore, but don't expect me to be nice to him." Yoruichi replied, causing Ichigo to chuckle.

"You being nice to Aizen? At that point, I think he'd get suspicious." Ichigo joked, causing Yoruichi to laugh slightly.

"Now that that's over with, I need to tell Kisuke where I am and what exactly it is that I am doing here." Yoruichi said, though Ichigo gave her an odd look.

"Isn't Hat N' Clogs still in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked, not entirely sure if this was the case.

"I think so… why, is that a problem?" Yoruichi questioned, believing that Ichigo could merely open up a garganta and take her to see the humble shopkeeper.

"Yes, it is. They figured out a way to shut off a garganta from within the Soul Society, exactly the same as Aizen is able to do from our end in Hueco Mundo, apparently." Ichigo replied.

"Hmmmmm… there is one person I think we can trust, but it involves a trip to the world of the living, if you're up for it?" Yoruichi challenged.

"When have I never been up for something that you've offered?" Ichigo retorted.

"Oh let me think, any of the times I've teased you." Yoruichi pointed out, prompting Ichigo to blush slightly since this was incredibly true.

"Wow Ichigo, good to see you haven't changed." Yoruichi joked, prompting Ichigo to sigh.

"Oh shut up." Ichigo said, though his blush made him seem harmless.

"So Ichigo, are you willing to have some fun or are you going to be a spoil sport and say it would make Aizen all pissed off at you?" Yoruichi prodded.

"I'm up for it, but you have to guarantee that we don't get seen by any Soul Reapers, and that both of us come back in one piece." Ichigo conditioned.

"Done." Yoruichi quickly replied.

Ichigo immediately flicked his wrist so as to summon the dark portal behind him, an action that caused Yoruichi's eyes to widen since she wasn't quite used to that.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked, prompting Yoruichi to smirk.

"That's my line." Yoruichi said before walking through the garganta.

_**Las Noches: Ulquiorra's Room **_

Ulquiorra _had_ been simply relaxing in his quarters, inwardly debating a few things, sorting out some opinions, but mostly just enjoying the peace and quiet after recent events as such occasions became rarer by the day.

His quiet time, however, was abruptly cut off by a, somewhat, forceful knock on his door, the performer of which remained a mystery until he heard a voice.

"Ulquiorra, we wish to ask you a question." A female's voice called out from behind the door. He immediately knew that the owner of said voice was Halibel and that the 'we' consisted of her, Nelliel, and Risha.

'_What could they want?_' Ulquiorra wondered, knowing full well that there were exactly three women outside his door.

The topic of discussion was likely going to be Ichigo considering who was at his door, but that confused him greatly since he hadn't the slightest clue of how he could be related to such things.

"The door is open, you may enter." Ulquiorra finally replied, immediately after which the door opened, revealing precisely the three women he had predicted to be entering the room.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Ulquiorra politely questioned.

"You were assigned by Lord Aizen to wake up each of those who attended the meeting this morning, correct?" Halibel questioned, immediately alerting Ulquiorra to what she was likely to ask in a moment.

"Yes, indeed I was. Why would this be of any importance?" Ulquiorra asked impassively, giving off the impression that he was slightly confused as to why the women were there.

"That woman, Yoruichi Shihoin, said that she and Ichigo had woken up this morning." Nel began.

"We would like to know if you found them in the same room, if it isn't too much of a bother." Risha continued, causing Ulquiorra to raise a brow.

"Not that it is any of my business, but why do you wish to know?" Ulquiorra questioned, though he was met with silence.

"If you desire me to tell you that I saw them sleeping in the same bed upon entering his room, I will do nothing of the sort." Ulquiorra stated, though he inadvertently made all three of the women narrow their eyes at his choice of words.

"So she _was_ with him this morning." Halibel stated before turning around and making to leave.

"Thank you Ulquiorra, you have been most helpful." Nel said before the three vanished via sonido.

The green-eyed Cuarto stood in place for a moment, reflecting on what he had just done. Two possibilities now existed. Either he had signed Yoruichi's death warrant, or Ichigo's, neither of which he had intended to do.

"Perhaps it would have been better if I had simply declined to answer." Ulquiorra mused.

**A/N Well, here you are and unfortunately there will not be a chapter posted next week due to the fact that I have three exams coming up. The next Chapter will be posted, not next Tuesday, but the Tuesday after that, so yeah…**

_**Explanations**_:

**Yoruichi Threatening Aizen**: Can't picture her not doing that at this point…

**Yoruichi and Ichigo going to the world of the living**: They will be going to Karakura to visit Tessai since he will relay the information to Urahara and also not rat them out. That's not all they will be doing, but that's the gist of it.

**Gin**: He will completely be messing with Ichigo in instances like this, simply for his own amusement.

**Aizen**: I won't tell you if he knows/doesn't know what Ichigo is doing or whether or not it is part of his plan.

**Hitsugaya and Kenpachi**: Simply wants to get stronger and I figured this would be a cool way to prelude that, same as with Kenpachi (can you say Unohana?).

_**Reviews**_: **Had an Exam today, therefore I had no time yesterday/today since I was studying during my free time instead of writing and opted to make the chapter a little longer instead, so I'm just going to reply to all the reviews from the past three chapters next chapter, and that's a promise given that I will have time after Wednesday of next week. **


	37. Welcome Back to the World of the Living

**A/N Here is Chapter 37 in all of its, hopeful, glory! This week's marks the last week that I have midterms/exams so next Tuesday will be the next chapter and I will be able to write slightly more. I do hate to do that since I have been posting more than one chapter per week for some time, but bear with me. **

**Chapter 37**

"Now that that's over with, I need to tell Kisuke where I am and what exactly it is that I am doing here." Yoruichi said, though Ichigo gave her an odd look.

"Isn't Hat N' Clogs still in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked, not entirely sure if this was the case.

"I think so… why, is that a problem?" Yoruichi questioned, believing that Ichigo could merely open up a garganta and take her to see the humble shopkeeper.

"Yes, it is. They figured out a way to shut off a garganta from within the Soul Society, exactly the same as Aizen is able to do from our end in Hueco Mundo, apparently." Ichigo replied.

"Hmmmmm… there is one person I think we can trust, but it involves a trip to the world of the living, if you're up for it?" Yoruichi challenged.

"When have I never been up for something that you've offered?" Ichigo retorted.

"Oh let me think, any of the times I've teased you." Yoruichi pointed out, prompting Ichigo to blush slightly since this was incredibly true.

"Wow Ichigo, good to see you haven't changed." Yoruichi joked, prompting Ichigo to sigh.

"Oh shut up." Ichigo said, though his blush made him seem harmless.

"So Ichigo, are you willing to have some fun or are you going to be a spoil sport and say it would make Aizen all pissed off at you?" Yoruichi prodded.

"I'm up for it, but you have to guarantee that we don't get seen by any Soul Reapers, and that both of us come back in one piece." Ichigo conditioned.

"Done." Yoruichi quickly replied.

Ichigo immediately flicked his wrist so as to summon the dark portal behind him, an action that caused Yoruichi's eyes to widen since she wasn't quite used to that.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked, prompting Yoruichi to smirk.

"That's my line." Yoruichi said before walking through the garganta.

_**Inside the Garganta**_

"So Yoruichi, who is it that we're going to see in Karakura Town?" Ichigo inquired as he and the former stealth force commander walked onwards within the dark abyss.

"We're going to see Tessai at Kisuke's shop. We can definitely trust him and as long as we don't do anything stupid, everything should work out fine." Yoruichi replied.

"Tessai seems nice… the first time we met though he kind of freaked me out." Ichigo thought aloud, recalling the memory of waking up in Urahara's shop after his fight with Renji, only to see the face of the former kido corps commander an inch from his own.

"There shouldn't be any problems on that end, its problems from Las Noches that I'm worried about." Yoruichi stated.

"Even if Aizen knew that we left, I don't think he would care as long as I came back and wasn't "discovered"." Ichigo replied.

"Plus, he's been in a pretty cheery mood since I came back from the Soul Society, probably has something to do with what he had me get from the vault." Ichigo mused, prompting Yoruichi to raise a brow.

"What vault?" Yoruichi questioned, having never heard of such a thing. It seemed as if this vault was something important to the Soul Society, especially if Aizen wanted something from it, and that bothered her considering that she was once a captain and still didn't know about it.

"It's some kind of area within the Central 46 chambers that stores important information or relics, or something like that. Aizen said it was especially important in regards to the royal family and the history of the Soul Society." Ichigo replied, however, he then realized something.

Yoruichi seemed not to know a damn thing about what he was talking about, and that confused him given that she used to be a captain. Therefore, he believed she should know about the existence of such a thing. And if she didn't, that meant that likely not all of the captains knew what it was.

"You didn't know it existed, did you?" Ichigo stated more than asked.

"No… I don't think Kisuke knew this either. We'll ask Tessai about it, maybe he even knows something about it." Yoruichi replied.

"He was the former commander of the Kido Corps, so maybe he was told something about it." Ichigo mused, recalling that Yoruichi had told him such a thing previously.

"What did Aizen have you get from the vault anyway?" Yoruichi inquired, believing that this was quite relevant to Aizen's latest scheme.

"He had me get two things. One of them was an old book, that's quite literally as best as I could describe it, and one was a box, the contents of which I don't really know considering I had other things to do that open the damn thing." Ichigo replied.

"One more question. If I didn't know about it, and if Kisuke didn't know about it, then how did Aizen even know that the vault existed in the first place?" Yoruichi asked, causing Ichigo to dawn a curious expression.

"That's a very good question… to tell you the truth I couldn't even begin to know. He didn't seem like he could give me any direction as to where the items he needed were, so I doubt he'd ever been inside. He could easily know where it was from when he was within Central 46 after his fake death… but that still doesn't make any sense given that he knew what the vault was for without going inside of it." Ichigo thought aloud.

"Let's just push that aside for now… I'd I think we're nearing the exit." Yoruichi stated.

_**World of the Living: Karakura Town Park**_

"You seem to know a good bit about navigating a garganta." Ichigo complimented considering that Yoruichi was quite new to this form of travel.

"Thanks, but when you've gotten the opportunity to navigate one on your own…" Yoruichi said, pausing a moment to give Ichigo a sideways glare.

"…then it isn't so hard." Yoruichi finished, causing Ichigo to release a sheepish laugh.

"Again, sorry about that." Ichigo apologized, for what he assumed was at least the third time on that particular matter.

"Well you should be." Yoruichi lightly chided, causing Ichigo to sigh.

"You're not going to let that go, are you?" Ichigo questioned, realizing that he was likely to be guilted into something within the near future or many things in the foreseeable future.

"Not until you make it up to me, but don't worry, you'll get a chance or two while we're here." Yoruichi replied before winking suggestively at Ichigo, an action that caused him to blush.

"Y-yeah… let's go find Tessai first. After all, we do have an actual reason for being here." Ichigo replied, causing Yoruichi to pout.

"You're such a killjoy… fine, we can go to Kisuke's shop first." Yoruichi conceded, subsequently after which a mild sense of relief washed of Ichigo considering though he knew he had successfully prolonging the inevitable.

That sense of momentary relief, however, evaporated the second that Yoruichi began to stare at Ichigo, her eyes appearing rather playful and her characteristic smirk now present on her features.

'_Now let's have some fun…_' Yoruichi thought, a slight glint coming into her eyes.

"But if we're going to do business first, that doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of fun…" Yoruichi trailed off, walking over to Ichigo and swaying her hips in a very purposeful manner.

Ichigo blushed, himself obviously struggling to keep his eyes on Yoruichi's face before she came to a stop directly in front of him.

"Now Ichigo… one kiss before we go?" Yoruichi questioned in a voice that conveyed want, something even Ichigo could pick up on.

Her lips were now less than an inch from his own, and thus, he closed his eyes and brought his own lips forward in an attempt to fulfill Yoruichi's request.

"Race ya!" Yoruichi exclaimed before pushing Ichigo on the ground and having the subsequent effect of making Ichigo's eyes comically wide.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted indignantly before seeing Yoruichi disappear via flash step. The Primera then got up and dusted himself off, a light scowl present on his face as per usual.

"Unbelievable, just unbeliv…" Ichigo began before stopping upon Yoruichi appearing directly in front of him, her face once again inches from his own.

"Almost forgot." Yoruichi said before giving Ichigo a quick peck on his lips. Ichigo blushed, but no sooner than Yoruichi had come back, she was gone once more.

"Guess if I didn't give her a head start, it wouldn't be fair." Ichigo thought aloud before disappearing in the buzz of sonido.

_**Las Noches: Outside Ichigo's Room**_

Halibel, Nel, and Risha walked up to the door that leads to the room of the Primera. Halibel appeared quite upset, her eyes fixed in an eternal glare, while Nel and Risha opted to keep their anger hidden behind their emotionless facial expressions.

Halibel, unsurprisingly, was the first to knock on Ichigo's door, opting to do so quite forcefully. When there was no answer, Nel decided to knock, sounding simply as if she wanted to speak to Ichigo about something as opposed to the aura of bloody murder that came from that of Halibel's.

"Ichigo." Nel called out before knocking on the door once more.

"No answer…" Risha trailed off after several moments of silence.

"Perhaps he simply isn't here." Nel mused, however Halibel appeared skeptical of this.

"Maybe he is off with that Yoruichi of his." Halibel spat, obviously having some form of distaste with the woman, and for a very obvious reason.

"I don't think that's the case, Tia. Ichigo is probably just talking to Aizen about something." Nel said in an attempt to calm her comrade and simultaneously convince herself that this was the case.

"You may be right…" Halibel conceded, seeing that there was no point in being angry over mere suspicion.

"Or, maybe he and Yoruichi are in the room and are up to something that would require not being disturbed." Gin mused, having walked up from around the corner of the hallway.

Halibel immediate raised her free right hand and outstretched the index finger of said hand towards the door.

Seeing this, Nel and Risha opted to act by restraining Halibel and pull her back as she struggled to get her hands free.

"Let go of me!" Halibel demanded, though Nel and Risha would have been fools to let her go considering they wanted Ichigo to be in one piece, at least until they got a crack at him.

"Relax you three. Ichigo Kurosaki and Yoruichi Shihoin are not in that room, no one is." Aizen stated, causing all three women to glare daggers at the teal-haired former captain.

"Honest mistake." Gin said, shrugging his shoulders innocently, though his grin made it very clear that what he had done was one purpose.

"Lord Aizen, do you know where he is?" Halibel questioned, her words a clear indication that her intent was less than friendly.

"Oh? Then it would appear he had not told you." Aizen mused, looking at Gin with an expression of mild amusement. The three women grew confused for a moment, the meaning of Aizen's words vague and cryptic.

Gin just gave Aizen an odd look, himself not knowing where Ichigo was, or even if he was in his room. However, it became clear that Aizen did, and that meant whatever was going to happen next would be interesting.

"Ichigo has left Las Noches for Karakura Town along with Yoruichi Shihoin." Aizen began, having the immediate effect of causing Halibel's eyebrow to twitch out of sheer annoyance.

'_He didn't tell me where he was going… I remember him saying something about NOT doing that EVER again…_' Nel thought, keeping her anger very, very, very well hidden.

'_It's okay Nelliel, breath, breath, brea… ah to hell with it. Ichigo Kurosaki, if you don't have a damn good reason for leaving without telling me, you are a dead man._' Nel thought.

"And you just let them leave?" Gin asked confusedly, though the three women were very interested in Aizen's answer to that question given where and with whom Ichigo had gone.

"Of course. So long as he returns, I have no objections." Aizen stated as if his way of thinking were obvious.

"So you're sure he'll come back?" Gin asked in an unsure tone.

Aizen merely chuckled and glanced at the three women, each of whom was noticeably upset in some manner. Halibel had her fists balled and her eyes narrowed, Risha currently gripped her sword tight enough to break any normal beings arm, and Nel seemed as if actual fire was now burning in her eyes.

'_Oh, so either he comes back or THEY bring him back._' Gin thought, unable to stop himself from chuckling.

"Would it meet your approval if one of us were to go to the world of the living to keep an eye on him?" Nel questioned, prompting Aizen to chuckle amusedly.

"If you are that worried, I will send someone to watch over him… Gin, would you be willing to…" Aizen said before being cut off.

"Can I bring someone?" Gin questioned, causing the three females to raise a brow at the thought of Gin bringing one of them along.

"I suppose so, but do not interfere with his activities. He has earned some leeway after his mission to the Soul Society." Aizen replied before walking off.

Gin immediately vanished via flash step, not even wanting to be confronted by the three women in regards to who he was bringing.

"What just happened?" Nel exclaimed, looking confusedly at Halibel and Risha.

"I think, and this is just a theory, that this… Gin person, somehow knows about our feelings towards Ichigo." Risha mused.

"Then why wouldn't he bring us?" Halibel questioned, though neither of the other two had the answer to that question.

After silence filled the air, one collective thought filled their minds, knowing at them incessantly.

'_Who is he going to take with him?_' Each of the women though simultaneously.

_**Las Noches: Unknown Location**_

"Ah, here we are." Gin thought aloud as he came to a stop in front of a very specific door.

Gin knocked on the door a few times before stopping so as to not be rude to the room's inhabitant.

A moment later, the door opened, revealing none other than a green-eyed, black-haired Espada to be clad in white and looking somewhat surprised to see that Gin was at his door.

"What is it that you want?" Ulquiorra questioned.

_**World of the Living: Karakura Town, Outside Urahara's Shop **_

'_My, my… such a peaceful day._' Tessai thought before taking a big breath of fresh air, subsequently after which he returned to sweeping the area in front of the shop.

His peaceful day, however, was interrupted by two simultaneous, but very distinctive, sounds. One he recognized as the sound of flash step, and the other was a static buzz he didn't quite recognize.

He turned his vision behind himself, and saw two people he was immediately able to recognize. The first was Yoruichi, the sight of which confused him a great deal considering that she was supposed to be in the Soul Society. On top of that, she was also wearing a white version of a stealth force uniform.

When his sights turned to the second person, however, his eyes had nearly popped out of his head.

"Looks like we tied, Ichigo." Yoruichi mused, immediately turning to her side so as to face her former student.

"Maybe… but the way I see it, we tied after you had a head start, so 'technically' I won." Ichigo taunted, smirking as he saw Yoruichi momentarily frown.

Sadly, he hadn't realized it would take more than that to win a verbal bout with Yoruichi, and this was evident by her smirk returning in full force, and an all too familiar look becoming present in her eyes.

"Well maybe I slowed down a bit for you. After all, it isn't polite to emasculate someone more than once in a single day." Yoruichi countered, prompting Ichigo to scowl.

"So, a tie?" Ichigo questioned seriously.

"Tie." Yoruichi agreed happily, subsequently after which the two noticed Tessai pointing a shaky finger at Ichigo.

"Ahhh… ahhhhhhhh." Tessai exclaimed, seemingly unable to find any words to use in this circumstance. He had been the one to maintain Ichigo's body and check on the pulse, just in case. It had been quite some time, and he hadn't even felt a bump, let alone a pulse, which meant he should be dead or the signal was being blocked, which meant he would have been a prisoner if he was alive.

"ICHI…" Tessai shouted at the top of his lungs before being cut off.

Yoruichi used flash step as quickly as she could and slapped her hand over Tessai's mouth, thereby silencing him.

"Clam down Tessai, we're here for a reason. Now I'm going to take my hand off of your mouth, do NOT scream, okay?" Yoruichi questioned, receiving a stern nod from the usually stoic man.

"Hey Tessai, what were you screaming about?" Jinta questioned as he walked up from behind the corner of the shop.

Ichigo used sonido as fast as he was able to disappear from sight, though Yoruichi stayed put and instantly turned to see Jinta and Ururu walk into the immediate area.

"Hello Jinta, Ururu." Yoruichi greeted, smiling sweetly at the two children.

"Hello Miss Yoruichi, how are you doing today?" Ururu greeted politely.

"A better question would be what the hell are you wearing?" Jinta pointed out, prompting Tessai to look at Yoruichi strangely as well.

"Actually, that's why I'm back. I need to change my clothes. Sofion had me try out a new uniform style. White was never my color though." Yoruichi replied, using the style of her clothing to her advantage.

'_Perhaps it would be best if they were not here for what she obviously wishes to say._' Tessai thought, realizing that Yoruichi clearly wasn't saying anything to the children about Ichigo being alive and here.

"Jinta, Ururu, I would ask that you go to the market on the other side of town and pick up several ingredients that I require at the moment. The list is on the table in the kitchen, and this is a very important assignment, so I would ask that you handle it with care." Tessai stated.

All Jinta heard was 'important assignment' and he was sold. Ururu, on the other hand, was more than willing to be of assistance.

"Let's go Ururu!" Jinta ordered in an upbeat tone before turning arouind and running into the shop.

"Coming!" Ururu exclaimed before running after Jinta.

"You're sending them grocery shopping, aren't you?" Yoruichi stated more than asked, smirking slyly after Tessai smiled back at her.

"Was it that obvious?" Tessai questioned amusedly.

"You were never very good at lying." Yoruichi pointed out.

"True, but I don't believe we have time to discuss such matters when it is clear you are here for a reason." Tessai replied, prompting Yoruichi's expression to grow somber.

Ichigo appeared next to Yoruichi a moment later, subsequently after which Tessai examined his face, just to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

"I sensed Jinta and Ururu leave from the back of the shop, so we should be good." Ichigo stated.

"Ichigo… good to see your alive and in good health." Tessai said, prompting Ichigo to smile slightly.

"Thanks, but can we get inside now, we need to talk and I'd rather not do it out here." Ichigo said, prompting Tessai to nod.

"Of course, now if you'll follow me." Tessai requested before turning and heading towards the shop.

"Good excuse by the way, Yoruichi. But I've got to say, you still look pretty good in white." Ichigo complimented, prompting Yoruichi to look at Ichigo with her characteristically playful expression.

"Kiss ass." Yoruichi teased, though she did enjoy it.

"Just because you're mad at me, doesn't make what I said any less true." Ichigo replied, prompting Yoruichi to smile.

"Thank you Ichigo, I wasn't sure if I was pulling it off." Yoruichi said before giving Ichigo a light kiss on his cheek.

Ichigo blushed slightly, still not used to such things, and rubbed the area Yoruichi had kissed with his hand. At this point, they had come to a stop by the door and Tessai had turned to face them once more.

"It would appear that you have much to tell me." Tessai mused, prompting Ichigo to laugh nervously and Yoruichi to look at Ichigo happily.

"Yes… we do." Yoruichi replied before walking into the shop, Ichigo and Tessai in toe.

_**Urahara's Shop: Common Area **_

Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Tessai opted to take seats at the table, Tessai sitting on one side, and the other two sitting opposite of him and directly next to each other.

"So I take it that your presence here is something that should come as a surprise to me, Lady Yoruichi." Tessai mused, though the former stealth force commander scowled at the mention of her title.

"You know you don't have to call me that anymore, it's been ages since you worked on my family's estate." Yoruichi replied, causing Ichigo to raise a brow, seeing somewhat of an oppertunity.

"Don't like the title… Lady Shihoin?" Ichigo mocked, prompting Yoruichi to glare at him, coupled with a scowl.

It was one thing to hear it from other but it was quite another thing entirely to hear such a thing come from the man she thought liked her for who she was as a person instead of as a noble or just another pretty face.

"From what I understand, neither do you… Lord Ichigo." Yoruichi mocked, regaining her smirk and playful demeanor and subsequently causing Ichigo to growl.

"How the hell do you even know about that?" Ichigo asked rhetorically.

"Risha was a wealth of knowledge. We talked for quite some time after you threw me into a garganta." Yoruichi replied, confusing Tessai greatly with her words.

Her reply, however, had the direct effect of worrying Ichigo considering that there were several things that Ichigo didn't want Yoruichi to find out, at least not from another person.

"Wait… what else did she tell you?" Ichigo asked wearily, prompting Yoruichi's eyes to narrow.

"Why do you ask? Did you do something I should know about, or rather, did you do something you don't want me to know about?" Yoruichi questioned dangerously, causing Ichigo to gulp.

"If it is of no consequence, I believe it best that you tell me your reasons for being here." Tessai stated, breaking up the argument before it even had a chance to begin.

As amusing as it would be to hear Ichigo hash it out with Yoruichi, the reason that the two were hear was far more pressing.

"Yes… I suppose your right." Yoruichi trailed off, still giving a sideways glare towards Ichigo before her vision shifted back to Tessai once more.

"Before we begin to explain why we're here, do you know about what happened in the Soul Society?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Tessai to nod.

"Yes, the boss sent back word that the Soul Society was attacked by the Espada, a select few, but still they were there. However, I had assumed that you, Yoruichi, were still present in the Soul Society." Tessai answered, prompting Yoruichi to rub the back of her head in a sheepish manner.

"As for you, Ichigo, I was under the impression that you were either being held prisoner in Las Noches or were currently deceased. What exactly happened to you?" Tessai questioned in a serious tone.

"It's a long story…" Ichigo trailed off, though Tessai didn't appear to be phased in the slightest.

"We have plenty of time." Tessai countered.

Ichigo then began to tell Tessai of what happened since he was asked to enter Hueco Mundo and travel to Las Noches. He told him of the Espada, that Aizen had somehow implanted a false perception or memory of some kind within Orihime to trick everyone into thinking he was dead.

Tessai, who had been quietly listening to Ichigo's story thus far, asked for Ichigo to stop upon hearing that Ichigo had become an arrancar.

"Then you…" Tessai began, prompting Ichigo to nod sadly before dawning his mask fragment so as to wordlessly illustrate the truth, or at least the half-truth.

Tessai frowned upon seeing the mask fragment. The hollowfication of Soul Reapers had been a touchy subject for him since his own lieutenant had become a victim, and once again, Aizen had been behind it.

Yoruichi's reaction was much the same as before, she frowned upon seeing the mask that now cut off his handsome face in place of a demonic appearance. The mask receded a second later, but the image of it was never something she was going to get used to.

"How did this happen?" Tessai inquired, a mixture of sympathy and curiosity evident in his tone.

"I don't know all of the details, but the way Aizen explained it was that he had used the Hogyoku to spark a conflict with my inner hollow, after that, I began to hollowfy outwardly until the point that I almost became a full hollow. After I beat back my inner hollow, Aizen used the Hogyoku to make my hollow powers more dominant than my Soul Reaper powers while keeping my humanity in control." Ichigo explained, his words catching Tessai's interest given that what Ichigo had told him conflicted with what he believed the Hogyoku to be capable of.

"Interesting…" Tessai trailed off.

"It didn't exactly work out the way he planned. For instance, I'm not a complete arrancar. I don't have a hollow hole, and I don't have to wear the mask, but I still have the powers of an arrancar and can no longer use the techniques I once used when I was a Substitute Soul Reaper." Ichigo continued.

'_Then perhaps the connection loss to his earthly body can be fixed._' Tessai thought.

If Ichigo had become a full arrancar, then that would mean that his soul would have been transformed and therefore he would no longer be capable of being human to any degree. But if the case was that he wasn't completely an arrancar, then perhaps there was a way to return him to his body. However, Tessai opted to file that thought away for the time being and refocused on the conversation at hand.

"What happened after you became this… sort-of arrancar?" Tessai questioned.

Ichigo then went on to tell Tessai of how he lost his memory, his rank as an Espada, which did surprise Tessai, but he respectfully stayed quiet. Then he came to how his memories began to return, his trip to the world of the living, the visit to the beach, and finally the invasion of the Soul Society.

"So it was your plan to invade the Soul Society?" Tessai questioned with a raised brow.

"Yup." Ichigo simply replied, causing Tessai to deadpan.

"And your purpose in going there was to…" Tessai trailed off, wanting Ichigo to elaborate.

"She happens to be sitting right here." Yoruichi stated somewhat happily, prompting Tessai to raise a brow.

A moment later, the realization hit him and nearly caused his eyes to pop out of his head, however, this time we was able to keep himself from any verbal reaction.

"And that brings us to the first reason we came…" Ichigo trailed off, breaking Tessai out of his temporary shock.

"One of the reasons I brought Yoruichi back to Las Noches is because I intend to go against Aizen. Since I became an Espada, I can easily count four arrancar that will fight with me and a potential six more, each of which are extremely powerful compared to normal arrancar. Yoruichi being there makes it five I have already, so if I can get the other six, Aizen won't be able to hide behind his soldiers." Ichigo stated, though his words confused Tessai.

'_How would Ichigo be able to get such strong arrancar to follow him?_' Tessai wondered. He knew that the Espada were strong if they possessed the capability to invade the Soul Society and all escape without any losses, and that only went to show how strong Aizen was if he was the one who lead them. If Ichigo was even going to have a shot of gathering support, then that would mean he would have to be on Aizen's level or higher in terms of power.

That in mind, Ichigo's choice of words made it seem like he wanted to take the arrancar out of the equation, and that left just him and Aizen.

"Ichigo… do you really believe you can take down Aizen?" Tessai inquired, wanting to know if that was actually the case.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. Yoruichi explained to me the powers of Aizen's zanpakuto, and I have an advantage in that I haven't seen him release his Shikai yet. So if his Shikai isn't going to work, that would make the fight about power, and I don't know how strong Aizen really is." Ichigo replied.

"Aizen is powerful, that much everyone knows, but how powerful has always been a mystery. In fact, no one in the entire Thirteen Court Guard Squads has sensed his full power." Yoruichi commented.

"The only experience I have had in fighting Sosuke Aizen was during the incident with the vizards. He retreated and I opted to use a powerful kido spell to injure him and prevent his leaving. However, he blocked my spell with an incantation-less Bakudo that shouldn't be known by any lieutenant. He is crafty and has hidden the full extent of his powers, and that should be cause for concern." Tessai thought aloud, recalling the incident that lead to his exile.

"Regardless, if I can get a few others on my side, then Aizen will have no choice but to face me himself." Ichigo stated with confidence.

It was true, if he could turn Starrk and Halibel as well as their fraccion, then the power of the top three Espada along with Nel, her fraccion, Risha, and Yoruichi should be more than enough to overwhelm the remainder of Aizen's forces. The only wild cards were Gin, Tosen, and Aizen himself, the power levels of who were mysteries at the moment.

"And you wish for me to relay this information to the boss?" Tessai questioned, eliciting a nod from both Ichigo and Yoruichi.

"Yes, but before we leave, there is one more thing we'd like to bring up. Before I left the Soul Society, Aizen had me to into Central 46 and find a vault, after which he had me take two objects. Yoruichi didn't know it existed, and she doesn't think Urahara knew either. So could you tell us if he knows or if you know?" Ichigo questioned.

Tessai rubbed his chin, giving off the impression that he gave serious thought on Ichigo's words.

"I… I cannot say I have ever heard of such a thing, and if the boss knows, he has never told me of it. What is the purpose of the vault?" Tessai asked so that he could get as much information as possible to relay to Urahara in case he didn't know about the vault.

"Aizen told me that the vault was supposed to be a place where important historical records, artifacts, and other things were kept. He also said that everything in there was also important to Central 46 in general, as well as the Royal Family." Ichigo explained.

Tessai's ears perked up at the mention of the Royal Family, seeing as how that was certainly going to be critical information to transfer given that Aizen intended to kill the Spirit King.

"I see… I will relay all of the information to Urahara, perhaps he will be able to make some sense of all this." Tessai thought aloud.

"Just make sure neither of you tells anyone else about this. If everyone in the Soul Society knows about me being alive, I have no doubt that Aizen will find out about all this." Ichigo stated, prompting Tessai to nod in agreement.

"If that's all…" Ichigo trailed off, looking at Yoruichi for a sign that they had done what they needed to do.

"You can go outside Ichigo… I just need to talk to Tessai for a second about what I want him to tell Kisuke." Yoruichi stated, prompting Ichigo to nod in understanding before walking out of the room and presumably the shop.

Once the Primera was gone, Tessai gave Yoruichi a stern look, not in a rude sense, but simply to illustrate that he believed the situation was extremely serious.

"Alright Tessai, I just wanted you to tell Kisuke that I want Soifon to know I'm still alive and that I want her to know what I'm doing. I don't want to make this like last time." Yoruichi stated in all seriousness.

"Of course, but are you sure she will stay quiet about this ordeal?" Tessai inquired, being unsure given that Soifon tended to have an overzealous personality when it came to Yoruichi.

"I trust her Tessai, and I know she will keep this a secret if she knows I want it that way." Yoruichi replied.

A moment of silence began to come into place, thought it was clear that something was meant to be said.

"Yes Tessai?" Yoruichi questioned, deciding that it would have been better if the former commander simply got to the point.

"Lady Yoruichi, do you truly believe what you are doing is the best course of action?" Tessai questioned in a voice as serious as one could possibly imagine, so serious, in fact, that Yoruichi hadn't even paid attention to the use of her title.

Yoruichi looked down at the ground for a brief moment before returning her vision to her old friend, her answer nearly reflected in this action.

"I… I know it isn't Tessai… Ichigo's place is here in the world of the living, not in Las Noches trying to ally himself with the arrancar in an attempt to overthrow Aizen. If I had my way, we wouldn't be doing this, but what Ichigo is trying to do will save lives and possibly end the war before it really starts." Yoruichi began, pausing a moment to gather her words.

"I have faith in him, Tessai… I know he will be strong enough, he has to be." Yoruichi continued, giving off a sad smile that gave away quite a bit to Tessai.

"Aizen has evaded the Soul Society for hundreds of years. His power is vast, and his intellect even more so. On top of that, his zanpakuto is possibly the most deadly weapon any Soul Reaper could ever wield in battle. So I ask you, do you really have such faith in Ichigo?" Tessai inquired.

Yoruichi closed her eyes and slowly got up, leaving the question unanswered for a moment before she stopped at the doorframe. She then turned around, giving Tessai a look that was a mix of bliss and seriousness.

"I do… and I have to have faith in him, I will always have faith in him… because… I love him." Yoruichi replied before walking out of the room, leaving Tessai alone with his thoughts in the wake of the information they had just transferred to him.

'_Ichigo Kurosaki… I truly hope you succeed for if you don't and Yoruichi is left heartbroken with your corpse at her feet… not even the afterlife will be able to save you from those that will come after you._' Tessai thought, giving off a clear smile of joy before shaking his head of such thoughts and walking off.

_**Karakura Town: Outside Urahara's Shop **_

"What took you so long?" Ichigo asked tiredly.

"I missed it when you were being a suck up." Yoruichi pouted, causing Ichigo to sigh.

"Anyway, let's head back, I'm sure that Aizen…" Ichigo began before turning to face Yoruichi and catching a very clear instance of nonverbal communication.

Her hands were balled into fists and rested on her hips. Her eyes were narrowed, and she appeared annoyed by something.

"I-I mean I think we should stay and have some fun?" Ichigo asked more than said, prompting Yoruichi to nod, as if telling him that this is what he should say.

"Yes, that's what we should do, stay here and have fun!" Ichigo exclaimed, prompting Yoruichi's generally cheerful demeanor to return.

"What a great idea Ichigo." Yoruichi said in agreement, as if the idea hadn't been hers in the first place.

"Why don't we head to…" Ichigo began, though he stopped upon seeing Yoruichi place her hands on her hips and glare at him once more.

"…I mean, where would you like to go, Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked shakily, prompting Yoruichi to smile brightly and close her eyes to give off an innocent look.

"You're so sweet Ichigo, but why don't you pick." Yoruichi offered.

'_Definitely not falling for that._' Ichigo thought, knowing full well where this would lead if he actually said anything other than what Yoruichi clearly wanted him to say.

"No, no, no, Yoruichi, I want to see what you feel like doing." Ichigo stated.

"But I insist." Yoruichi replied.

"But your so much more fun than I am… and pretty, and strong, and talented…" Ichigo trailed off in a joking manner.

"You know we could just stay here spare." Yoruichi threatened upon detecting the joking tone with which Ichigo had complimented her.

After their brief fight in the Soul Society, Ichigo knew for a fact he would never want to fight with Yoruichi one on one. Even if he was stronger and, now, perhaps faster, that didn't mean he would ever want to hurt her, and that would mean being a punching bag for most likely the hardest hitting woman on the face of the planet.

"Sorry… but seriously, what do you feel like doing?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Yoruichi to rub her jaw, as if deep in thought.

'_Well, we can't go out into the city since I don't have a gigai and he doesn't have a body anymore…_' Yoruichi thought.

A moment later she heard the bell ring from within the shop, a signal that someone had entered. She knew that had been Jinta and Ururu, and that gave her an idea.

"Be right back." Yoruichi stated before running back into the shop, effectively leaving Ichigo astronomically confused.

"HEY!" A male child's voice exclaimed from within the store. A moment later, Yoruichi appeared in front of Ichigo with what appeared to be a picnic basket, the sight of which caused Ichigo to deadpan.

"You're carrying the basket, let's go." Yoruichi ordered in a playful tone before vanishing via flash step.

'_God, if women turn out to be half as bad as Kyoka Suigetsu when it comes to manipulation, I'm in for a world of trouble._' Ichigo thought dryly. He could swear that after that he heard a brief bout of laughter from within his head, but it hadn't lasted anywhere near enough time for him to have directly noticed it.

"YORUICHI!" Jinta exclaimed as he ran towards the door of the shop. Before he could exit, Ichigo vanished via sonido, missing the string of swears that were shouted and the subsequent bashing of Jinta over the head by Tessai for the use of such language.

_**Forests outside of Karakura Town **_

"What took you so long?" Yoruichi teased after Ichigo had appeared in the buzz of sonido.

"You kind of left me without telling me where we were going, so I had to sense your spiritual energy, but you were clearly hiding it, so it wasn't so easy." Ichigo replied, growling slightly as he finished his sentence.

"So you didn't know what I was doing and you're mad about that?" Yoruichi questioned sarcastically, causing Ichigo to sigh.

"You just don't let things go, do you?" Ichigo asked rhetorically.

"I told you berry boy." Yoruichi purred, walking up to Ichigo and giving him a seductive smirk.

"You're just going to have to make it up to me before I can drop it." Yoruichi cooed as she caressed Ichigo's cheek, effectively making him blush.

"But before we start on our little date, we need to find an area with more sun." Yoruichi stated before disappearing in the blur of flash step.

"Huh… never really been on a date before." Ichigo thought aloud before he followed suit.

_**Past the limits of Karakrua Town **_

Ichigo and Yoruichi came to a stop somewhere near the outskirts of Karakura Town, finding an area on a hillside that was exposed to the sun and gave a fantastic view of the city.

"Great day to be in the sun, don't you think?" Yoruichi asked, looking around with a hand above her eyes so as to shield herself from the bright light of the sun and get a better look at things.

"Beats the hell out of the fake sun in Las Noches." Ichigo replied dryly after he had laid out the blanket, though he had confused Yoruichi.

"Fake sun?" Yoruichi asked confusedly, causing Ichigo to give her a quizzical look as they both sat down.

"You were in my room, alone, for at least a few hours and you never looked outside the balcony?" Ichigo inquired.

"I had a lot on my mind, though we could talk about that, if you want to." Yoruichi threatened playfully.

She immediately regretted doing so, however, upon seeing Ichigo frown, not playfully, but genuinely.

"Hey, you know if I was that mad at you, I wouldn't have stayed." Yoruichi said in all honesty.

"Yoruichi, it hurts me that your mad at me… you really matter to me, and I can't stand the thought of your not forgiving me for something." Ichigo stated before closing his eyes.

'_Dammit!_' Yoruichi thought. She had meant to make him feel guilty, but she definitely didn't want to push him away with something like that.

"I'm sorry Ichigo… I won't bring it up again, okay?" Yoruichi said, her voice full of regret and empathy.

"I don't know Yoruichi, I didn't really appreciate your bringing it up every chance you got, plus, I don't know if you're telling the truth." Ichigo said, turning his back to Yoruichi and crossing his arms.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi trailed off, sounding rather disappointed in herself more than anything. She looked at the ground, but was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of a slight chuckle coming from Ichigo.

"Got ya!" Ichigo exclaimed, turning around and pointing at Yoruichi with a joking expression on his face.

"Wh-wha?" Yoruichi uttered, her face becoming one of absolute disbelief.

"Oh-oh, wow, your face is, HAHAHA!" Ichigo started to cackle. Now he knew why Yoruichi did this so much, it was rather fun.

Yoruichi, on the other hand, was much less cheerful at the moment.

'_He wants to mess with ME?! HE'S trying to mess with ME?!_' Yoruichi thought out shock, her mental state making her unable to counter the absolute torrent of laughter that was coming off of Ichigo.

"Hahaha… hahahaha…" Ichigo laughed out, ceasing his uproar and wiping a tear away from one of his eye. Yoruichi crossed her arms and glared daggers and her presumed "boyfriend" to illustrate her irritation.

"Are you quite done?" Yoruichi questioned in a tone of severe warning.

Ichigo held up his hand so as to illustrate he needed another second to calm himself, but sadly, he couldn't take a hint.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Ichigo cackled once more, now rolling on his stomach and clenching his sides. At this, Yoruichi's eyebrow twitched and she blushed deep enough for Ichigo to see. Of all the people in any dimension she expected to be able to do that to her, Ichigo was not one of them.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ichigo laughed out, pointing at Yoruichi's face so as to show he saw the blush and found it rather hilarious, however, this only made Yoruichi more aggravated and caused her blush to deepen.

'_You better hope you laugh yourself to death._' Yoruichi thought due to the fact that otherwise his death would be quite painful by her hands.

"Okay… okay." Ichigo breathed out, finally gathering his bearing and ceasing his laughter.

"I'm done now." Ichigo said, speaking clearly for the first time in several minutes. He, however, immediately noticed Yoruichi's expression and frowned.

"Crap." Ichigo muttered, subsequently after which Yoruichi raise a brow.

"Good, you're smart enough to tell when I'm angry at you." Yoruichi said sarcastically due to the fact that her expression hadn't changed since he started laughing.

"Oh come on, you've teased me every chance you've ever had since you showed your true form to me, at least let me get one in." Ichigo said, raising a good point.

Even if the timing wasn't appropriate, nor was the means, Yoruichi couldn't argue that Ichigo had just gotten a point against her. Perhaps that wasn't a dent in the overall "score" but she wasn't about to let it slide by.

"Ichigo, I thought you were being serious, you thick headed moron." Yoruichi said before getting up and walking over to the area of the hill where the slope was somewhat steep. She had her eyes closed and her hands crossed, as good an indication as any that she was being genuine.

"This would be the part where you apologize to your date." Yoruichi stated impatiently, prompting Ichigo to get up from his seat almost immediately.

"Look Yoruichi, I really am sorry, if I had known…" Ichigo said as he walked up to Yoruichi. He stopped midsentence after feeling Yoruichi grab his hand, immediately after which he saw her signature smirk and realized what was happening.

Ichigo began to fall into a path that would cause him to roll down the hill, but he had the reflexes and proper bearings to bring a certain someone with him.

Much to the goddess's surprise, Ichigo had grabbed her and pulled her down with him. The end result was for the two to roll down the hill of grass, sideways, each alternating positions of who was on top and who was on the bottom as they neared the bottom.

As then came to a rest, Yoruichi was on top of Ichigo, and both began to laugh at what had just happened.

When they had stopped, Ichigo looked up at Yoruichi, and instantly fell into some form of a trance. Her hairband no longer holding her flawless purple hair in a ponytail, and her beauty was only accentuated by the light of the sun causing her face to gleam.

Yoruichi smiled down at Ichigo, unable to even deny that she had missed him so greatly. At this very moment, she was happy, and nothing could possibly ruin that. However, that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it to a higher degree.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Ichigo questioned, causing Yoruichi to give him a surprised look, though she quickly shook it off.

"Only once, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again." Yoruichi replied playfully, still not taking her gaze off of Ichigo's eyes.

"You're so beautiful…" Ichigo muttered dreamily, causing Yoruichi to blush slightly at the compliment.

She saw a look in his eyes that conveyed pure honesty, but that wasn't what caused her to blush. What he had just said made her feel as if she was the only woman he would ever look at, and that was something that just made her heart flutter with joy.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi said before she began to close the distance between their respective lips, though Ichigo, in his mesmerized state, did exactly the same.

_**Past the Limits of Karakura Town (Hillside) **_

Gin sat with a pair of binoculars, staring off at both Ichigo and Yoruichi as they set up their picnic.

"Why did you decide to bring me along again?" Ulquiorra questioned. He was never one to complain as it was the duty of trash to do so, but trash could easily have filled in for him on this meaningless assignment as he saw it.

In addition to that, he was bothered by the fact that Gin was using a device that allowed for the seeing of objects from a great distance when they were more than capable of seeing what was happening with shocking clarity.

"Because you're the only arrancar that is capable of transferring what he has seen with that eye thing of yours." Gin replied, causing Ulquiorra to shut his eyes in mild contempt due to the insult to his power.

"It is called Solita Vista, and I fail to see why that would be useful in this circumstance. I also fail to see why we are wearing these ridiculous outfits." Ulquiorra replied, referring to the cloaks that both he and Gin were currently wearing.

"We are wearing the cloaks so Ichigo doesn't sense our spiritual energy… as for why your Solita Vista is relevant, take a look." Gin said, taking the binoculars off and grinning more so than Ulquiorra had ever seen him.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly after seeing both Ichigo and Yoruichi tumble down the hillside. He could hear them laughing when they came to a stop, then his ears picked up on their following conversation.

However, he then realized something as the two began to kiss. Gin likely intended to show this to Halibel, Nelliel, and Risha, given that his Solita Vista would be incredibly thorough in communicating such information. That, however, caused him to become inwardly worried.

'_This poses a dilemma for me._' Ulquiorra thought. He rather liked Ichigo given that his company was one of the few he didn't feel he needed to protest. If Ichigo were to be put in an early grave, he would lose someone he deemed not to be trash, and in Las Noches, somewhat intelligible beings who's purpose was not simply to kill were so difficult to come by.

On the other hand, he knew for a fact that if Gin told the three women he was capable of showing them such things, he would likely be put in an early grave if he refused. Therefore, all he could do was relay this information when they returned to Las Noches, and do his best to make it up to Ichigo as he ran for his life.

'_That appears to be the best alternative._' Ulquiorra thought.

"So… you do know who I want you to show this to, right?" Gin questioned.

"I am well aware." Ulquiorra replied.

"Good, then that saves me the time and effort it would take to explain things to you." Gin chirped before walking off.

"Where are you going?" Ulquiorra questioned emotionlessly, though he was curious as to what had warranted Gin's action.

"We saw what I had hoped to see, so were done, let's go." Gin stated before disappearing via flash step.

Ulquiorra took a moment, looked back at Ichigo, and then used sonido to follow Gin, knowing full well that Ichigo would be able to sense or even see a garganta being opened at this close a range.

_**With Ichigo and Yoruichi**_

They both pulled back from the kiss, simply staring into one another's eyes. Yoruichi was feeling absolutely fantastic and Ichigo was much the same.

"You know, I could get used to hearing that if we're going to be together." Yoruichi thought aloud. However, she had then realized something. She hadn't explicitly said they were together up until this point.

'_Is there an us?_' Yoruichi wondered. She then went over what she believed to be true. She could tell Ichigo was attracted to her, that she was attracted to him, and that they very much so enjoyed one another's company.

And if the extent to which he went to get her from the Soul Society was any indication, he likely cared a good bit for her.

'_I'll bring that up later, no sense in ruining a perfect day if he's not on that level just yet._' Yoruichi thought, content with leaving that question verbally unanswered for the time being.

"Ichigo?" Yoruichi called out, noticing that said Espada hadn't even responded to her previous inquiry. He was still staring at her, directly in her eyes, with an affectionate look, something that made her heart flutter.

However, the look he was giving her, and the target of his eyes told her something. He wasn't staring at her face, not her chest, and he wasn't trying to be a pervert. If Ichigo liked her, it was because of who she was as a person, not for her body.

"Ichigo?" Yoruichi repeated, finally causing Ichigo to break out of his seeming trance.

"Hm?" Ichigo uttered, blinking his eyes a few times after staring into Yoruichi's for so long.

"You know, it's rude to stare at someone and then ignore them when they speak to you." Yoruichi teased, causing Ichigo to blush. He hadn't stared at her body, but staring at her and not responding was just the same in his mind.

"Sorry." Ichigo sheepishly replied, shifting his head to the side so as to avoid Yoruichi's gaze.

At this, the goddess of the flash frowned. She did, however, quickly caress his cheek and guide his vision to her once more.

"Now why would you be sorry? Do you regret thinking of me as beautiful?" Yoruichi lightly pouted.

"Of course not!" Ichigo quickly replied, denying such a notion.

"Good…" Yoruichi trailed off before giving Ichigo a quick peck on the cheek.

"We should go eat the food before it spoils." Yoruichi mused, recalling that she several of the items she had 'stolen' from Jinta had been foods that needed refrigeration.

"Then why are you still on top of me?" Ichigo questioned cockily. However, his confidence turned to worry the second he saw that smirk of hers.

'_Something about that look she gives me just makes any hope of teasing her vanish._' Ichigo thought. After this, he could have sworn he heard someone comparing him to a female's sexual organ, and that inwardly confused him. However, once again his mind was elsewhere, and he hadn't quite heard the voice.

'_Maybe I'm just going insane._' Ichigo thought dryly.

"Now Ichigo, why would I go and do that?" Yoruichi asked rhetorically.

A second later, Ichigo found himself lying on the blanket he had set up atop the hill. He and Yoruichi were still in the same position, and she was smirking cockily as she saw Ichigo's expression change to one of absolute shock.

"Impressive, no?" Yoruichi knowingly asked, breaking Ichigo out of his daze.

"Yeah… how did you even do that?" Ichigo inquired, genuinely curious considering that he didn't think doing that with flash step was possible.

"You didn't think my title was just for show, did you?" Yoruichi countered, raising a good point.

"I thought you said you hated titles?" Ichigo teased, prompting Yoruichi to raise a brow.

"If you actually like them, I guess I should just call you Lady Yoruichi." Ichigo mused, though his words had the instantaneous effect of making Yoruichi glare daggers at him while simultaneously frowning.

"Don't get too cocky… Lord Ichigo." Yoruichi taunted, prompting Ichigo to growl.

It was difficult to say who disliked being called by a title more, but one thing was certain, neither liked it at all.

"Truce?" Yoruichi asked, regaining her smirk but causing Ichigo to scowl.

"Truce…" Ichigo said tiredly, not quite happy with losing the only thing he knew he could tease Yoruichi with.

"Now… can you get off me?" Ichigo questioned.

"I don't know… I kind of like this. Tell me, how good of a placemat do you think you'd make?" Yoruichi asked jokingly, causing Ichigo to sigh.

**A/N There we go, and remember next chapter will be posted on next Tuesday, till then!**

_**Explanations**_:

**Ichigo's Appearance**: Someone asked this in a review so here goes. He looks exactly the same as before but he now wears an arracnar uniform similar in appearance to Starrk's and his mask fragments appearance has already been described. As of his trip to the world of the living with Starrk, he has stopped wearing the mask fragment. The reason he isn't doing it now is because he thinks it isn't really a good idea to remind Yoruichi of what he is, at least until she stops thinking of different ways to kill Aizen. He doesn't like it that much, and I have stated this before, so that is also another reason he doesn't really wear it.

**Gin**: Yup, he will continue to do stuff like this because he is Gin.

**Ulquiorra**: He _might_ end up helping Ichigo out when the time comes, but he does feel, sort of, bad about doing this.

_**Reviews**_:

**Lightningblade49**: No he didn't and I really didn't want him to show off that bad boy just yet.

**Darkmachines**: Thanks for complimenting the chapters, also Aizen didn't have Ichigo take the King's Seal, and I won't tell you exactly what Ichigo was ordered to take for a bit of time.

**Mexican ninja1996**: He very well may die of a beating from the four women,

**Anon**: I settled for an escape, couldn't have a big ass conflict erupt too soon, now could I?

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark**: I don't think of myself as cruel… okay, maybe a little bit ;), and Yoruichi may very well kill him.

**Kiwifan7**: Glad to hear I am good at something and that you liked it! Also, that hole only gets deeper…

**sami217**: Thanks, also yeah the over 300,000 words thing is alright, I could do more, apparently ;P

**Akuma-Heika**: Yeah, I would agree with that but if the organ is completely blown away or mostly destroyed then I don't think he can regenerate it. Kensei's Bankai is his normal Bankai, I've never really seen it brought to life… ever, so I did my best to describe it in some manner. Bottom of the list is the most insignificant, and it is true because he has done a few things that were worse than pushing her into the Garganta, like the beach thing and also leaving without saying anything. The king's key thing, don't really know all that much about it so I can't say your wrong, can't say your right, but some of that makes sense. Also, I will!

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: Thanks, I figured as much considering that massive amounts of bloodshed to infuse the key into someone seemed like a bit of an extreme.

**Very Heavy Overweight Metal**: Thanks, saving the bloodshed for later in the story though, this was kind of a pre-war fight and I didn't want to have anyone too grievously injured. Also thanks, I didn't really know how my fight scenes stacked up to others, but people seem to think I do a good job so I hope I can continue to do so.

**FinalDemon**: …, also…

**Hollow King 13**: That is very true, but they don't really meet each other until the next chapter, or rather the end of it.

**hornet07**: Yamamoto didn't go to the vault himself because I just wrote it that way. Even if he had gone directly to the vault, he would have known that the arrancar was fast enough to leave before he got there.

**friaku**: Glad to hear I am making this better, and you will, indeed, see more in the future!

**The Night Hunter**: Doomed is putting it a bit harshly, but he makes it up to Ichigo in the future.

**Guest(1)**: Indeed it does, he may not be… or is he? He isn't going to find a family heirloom, and yeah that's true, but Starrk can also fire a blue cero form his chest, that also reminds me of iron man.

**Xager-the-Chaos-King**: Ichigo has the loyalty of Risha, Nel, and Nel's fraccion at the moment, on top of Yoruichi. The people he has in the maybe category will be revealed next chapter so there really isn't a point in me saying this now.

**Darkaggie**: Won't tell, but I figure it will get kind of obvious.

**QuasWexQuas**: Thanks!

**Namz89**: Thanks!

**Exile writer**: Thanks and I will!

**Digitize27**: Yup, and it will continue to be interesting.

**Kuroi Rin**: Thanks for the compliments, I try to make the fights good, you should feel sorry for Ichigo,

**Ryden Purrson**: Glad to hear you liked it!

**EyeHertoOC's**: Thanks, and I try.

**flevantein**: Keep in mind that Love and Rose got absolutely owned by Starrk when he was at full power, and that's just a singular Espada. Halibel gained an increase in power by a somewhat-significant amount, and Nel on top of her is a good fighting team. They did appear slightly weaker than they normally do, but again, I am saving their strengths for the future. Also it wasn't the full brunt, they were stalling, nothing more, nothing less. After all, why defeat them when you can just trap them? The level of Ichigo's full power is comparable if not slightly greater than that of Aizen's at the moment. Ichigo's greatest aspect is his speed and strength as well as his massive spiritual pressure. In terms of fighting, however, someone like Yamamoto could probably beat him at the moment because he is capable of matching, or surpassing, that amount of power. Hope this helps explain my thinking.

**Habringer of script**: Thanks!

**dark scythe666**: Thanks for the compliments, also Ichigo only seems slightly overpowerd because his powers don't scale very well at the moment. His release state only grants him more raw power. His regenerative abilities and speed are constant, and that is why he seems very strong. I think I explained this in the past but not very well, but Ichigo, as a hybrid, doesn't store away his powers like the other arrancar. That is the same reason why Starrk and Halibel are stronger in their unreleased states as well. Also he will react more with the other Espada.

**OoOXyilionOoO**: lol

**Fire0770**: Pretty much, but Orihime wont if I add that in the sequel… or maybe she will, just can't picture her being angry at Ichigo… ever…

**Kyriptic Paradox**: Thanks!

**gtrain20**: Eventually share.

**Guest(2)**: Can't say on the recruiting thing, but I can say that not all of the Espada die in this story, nor do all the fraccion. Also there will likely be some HitsuKarin in the sequel, if only for comedic value.


	38. The Pieces Come Together

**A/N Guess all I can say at the moment is here is the next chapter, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 38**

_**Las Noches: Outside the Throne Room**_

Halibel, Nelliel, and Risha each walked out of a respective corridor and approached the doors that lead to the seat of power within Las Noches, each giving one another a quizzical look considering that they hadn't expected the others to be summoned.

"Hello, Halibel, Risha, were you called as well?" Nel questioned as the group came to a halt in front of the door.

"Yes, but I was not told of the reason." Halibel replied.

"The same can be said for me." Risha stated in concurrence with Halibel.

Before any conversation could begin, Ulquiorra and Gin appeared directly in front of the group, with the green-eyed Espada standing slightly behind his technical superior.

"Welcome ladies." Gin greeted, giving a slight bow to the, now glaring, group of women.

"So are you here to tell us who you will be bringing to the world of the living?" Halibel questioned, crossing her arms and leaning against the door to the throne room.

"Actually, I just got back, and boy was it interesting." Gin stated cryptically, causing Halibel, Risha and Nel to raise a curious brow.

"Wouldn't you say, Ulquiorra?" Gin questioned, turning to the green-eyed Espada and subsequently causing all three women to shift their vision to Ulquiorra.

"It would depend on to whom one is speaking." Ulquiorra replied, causing everyone else present, save for Gin, to furrow their brows at his response.

"You didn't think it was interesting when Yoruichi and Ichigo… oh, I've said too much already." Gin said overdramatically, causing Halibel to widen her eyes in surprise, Risha to grip her sword, and one of Nel's eyes to twitch.

Now they knew for a fact that something had happened, and come hell or high heaven, they were going to find out right this instant.

"Now exactly what did they do?" Halibel questioned in a tone backed with aggression, her glare only adding to her evident killer intent.

"Well… I really shouldn't say." Gin thought aloud, cheekily putting a hand over his cheek in an innocent manner so as to annoy the three women further.

'_This is just too much fun!_' Gin thought amusedly, taking the light growls coming from Halibel as a sign that they desired to know more so than he had originally anticipated.

"I would very much appreciate it if you would explain what happened between them." Halibel stated in a sickeningly sweet tone, after which she, along with the other two women, grabbed the hilt of their respective weapon and subsequently made Gin's skin pale slightly.

"No need to get violent, I can show you exactly what happened." Gin said whilst he defensively held his hands up.

"How?" Nel questioned, her confusion matching that of Risha's. Halibel, on the other hand, only took a moment before she understood what the foxlike man was referring to.

'_My life used to be so simple._' Ulquiorra thought as Halibel shifted her glare to him.

"Then am I to assume that you have something to show us with your Solita Vista, Ulquiorra?" Halibel asked rhetorically, prompting Nel and Risha to raise a brow out of confusion considering they weren't aware of that ability.

"Nothing of consequence." Ulquiorra replied in a final attempt to disinterest the three women from the matter.

"It would depend on your point of view. For instance, if you were Ichigo, and these three saw what happened…" Gin trialed off, instantly causing Ulquiorra to mentally sigh and the three women to narrow their eyes even more so at what Gin had implied.

'_I suppose I tried…_' Ulquiorra thought before he brought his hand up to his eye. A moment later, he removed the appendage from his eye socket and smashed it, scattering it into green particles of energy that began to spread over the room.

_**Solita Vista **_

Ichigo began to fall into a path that would cause him to roll down the hill, but he had the reflexes to bring a certain someone with him.

Much to the goddess's surprise, Ichigo had grabbed her and pulled her down with him. The end result was for the two to roll down the hill of grass, sideways, each alternating positions of who was on top and who was on the bottom.

As then came to a rest, Yoruichi was on top of Ichigo, and both began to laugh at what had just happened.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Ichigo questioned, causing Yoruichi to give him a surprised look.

The eyes of the three women widened at this, considering that up until this point they didn't know for a fact weather or not Ichigo and Yoruichi were a possibility as a couple. That said, the information didn't come as a source of comfort.

"Only once, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again." Yoruichi replied playfully, still not taking her gaze off of Ichigo's eyes.

'_So they have a history of some kind…_' The three women thought simultaneously, guessing that 'again' meant it had happened before. On top of that, if Ichigo was going to go to the Soul Society and invade it for her sake, then clearly something had happened.

"You're so beautiful…" Ichigo muttered dreamily, causing Yoruichi to blush slightly at the compliment.

After this was heard, Halibel's hands began to ball to the point that her nails pierced the fabric of her gloves and started to dig into her own flesh a slight amount. To say that she was upset was now an understatement. Nel and Risha had much less violent reactions, but still one could sense the killer intent rather clearly. However, the feelings of anger seemed petty compared to those after witnessing what happened next.

"Ichigo…" Yoruichi said before she began to close the distance between their respective lips, though Ichigo, in his mesmerized state, did exactly the same.

'_That little…_' Halibel thought out of anger, knowing full well that this woman, unbeknownst to her up until this point, was actively trying to 'steal' Ichigo. Perhaps Yoruichi didn't know of the arrangement they had set up, or even of the others' existences, but that didn't exactly justify it given how upset Halibel currently was.

_**Regular Perception**_

"So… what'd ya think?" Gin asked with a knowing grin.

Halibel hadn't even given a response. Rather, she just disappeared in the static buzz sonido. Nel and Risha disappeared a moment after that, leaving Gin with a grin the size of which had never been seen on his face as of yet, and that was truly saying something.

"I think that went rather well." Gin thought aloud before leaving through the use of flash step.

"Not if you're Ichigo." Ulquiorra muttered before he walked off into the halls.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room **_

Halibel now stood out on her balcony, gazing out into the training area that the fake sun illuminated. Her eyes were fixed in an ever-present glare, and under her high rise collar and mask fragment, a scowl made itself present.

It didn't come as a source of comfort to know that Ichigo still wasn't back in Las Noches, which meant that she had no way of knowing what they were currently doing. Just thinking about that made her blood boil.

Her thoughts and worries, however, were interrupted by the sound of sonido coming from behind her.

"Tia, I believe we need to discuss this." Nel said in a tone with a slight edge, revealing that she wasn't quite pleased with recent events either.

"Perhaps we should not be so quick to anger. It isn't as if this woman knew of our arrangement. In fact, of the three of us I am the only one she has met personally." Risha stated, raising a good point.

"I am not angry." Halibel said emotionlessly, though Nel and Risha just gave her a confused look.

"Really?" Nel asked amusedly, not at all buying that this was the case.

"So your fine with the fact that, even right now, Ichigo is off with a women in the World of the Living who we know for a fact has some kind of relationship or connection with him?" Nel continued, prompting Halibel to seemingly cringe and clamp her eyes shut.

The Tercera gave no verbal response, at first, and instead turned to face the training area that she could view from her balcony. She outstretched her hand and fired off an incredibly large golden-yellow cero that decimated a cluster of small blue pillars off in the distance.

Nel and Risha just blinked after the blond had turned around to face them again, waiting to see if she was going to comment on her previous action.

"I lied." Halibel simply said, prompting Nel to deadpan, though Risha kept a neutral expression.

"That aside, I believe we should tell Yoruichi Shihoin about our arrangement." Risha stated, wanting to at least be fair given that the two likely had some kind of history. It just didn't seem right to ignore such a thing.

"And what is your opinion on the matter, Nelliel?" Halibel inquired, turning her sights to the green-haired Espada.

"I suppose it would be the best decision." Nel replied, trying to be unbiased in the matter. She'd be lying if she said she didn't have a problem with her taking Ichigo to the World of the Living though.

'_I suppose killing her would be a bit extreme…_' Halibel thought somewhat rationally.

"Very well, when they return, we will speak to her about it." Halibel stated, eliciting a nod from Risha and Nel as a response.

_**World of the Living: Karakura Town, Hillside **_

"Enjoying yourself Yoruichi?" Ichigo asked after seeing the goddess of the flash sprawl out on the blanket and stretch her limbs.

"Every chance I get." Yoruichi replied.

"Well give me a time frame. We do need to get back to Las Noches eventually, after all." Ichigo said, prompting Yoruichi to sigh.

"Why do you want to go back all of a sudden?" Yoruichi lightly pouted.

"It's not that, I'd just rather not overstay my welcome here. Especially considering that I don't want to give Aizen a reason to get suspicious." Ichigo explained, though Yoruichi just smirked playfully at his words.

"So coming to the World of the Living with the women you just brought back from the Soul Society isn't suspicious?" Yoruichi asked amusedly.

"It isn't if I blame the trip on you." Ichigo teased, causing Yoruichi to scowl.

"Oh come on, it's not like I would ever really do that. Aizen probably knows I'm gone anyway, but since he hasn't sent anyone to get me, that just means he doesn't mind." Ichigo stated, prompting Yoruichi to drop her scowl in favor of a neutral expression.

"Hey Ichigo, would you mind telling me who the arrancar that will fight for you are. Actually, in general I'd like to know who the Espada are since I haven't really met any of them, and I'd like to know who to avoid." Yoruichi said, surprising Ichigo with the fact that she had said this, though he didn't really mind.

"Well I guess I'll start with the Espada… there's the Decimo, Yammy. You met him in the world of the living and apparently beat the hell out of after I lost control and passed out." Ichigo said.

"So avoid him, got it." Yoruichi said, prompting Ichigo to chuckle.

"After him is the Novena, the old one died when while on a mission, and I think that Szayel took his place. He's got pink hair and his hollow mask fragment looks like a pair of glasses. I don't know him very well, but he seems like a mad scientist, the Kurotsichi type." Ichigo continued.

Yorucihi nodded, now she knew to avoid Szayel or at least not converse with him too often.

"Next is the Octava, Grimmjow. From what I remember during our "mission" to the Soul Society, he is a destructive fighter who simply loves to do just that, fight. I don't really know much about him, but he doesn't seem all that bad, especially if you compare him to the next guy." Ichigo said, causing Yoruichi's ears to perk up.

"What do you mean by that?" Yoruichi inquired, raising a curious brow.

"Well… the next guy is the Septima, Nnoitora. He's worse than Grimmjow in terms of killing, and has no respect for anyone or anything. Hell, I think the only reason he listens to Aizen is because he knows Aizen could kill him without giving it a second thought. On top of that, he absolutely hates women who are stronger than he is, and that brings me to the next one." Ichigo said, pausing a moment so that the information could sink in.

"The Sexta is Nelliel, but you can just call her Nel. She was the one with green hair that sat across from me at the meeting this morning. She was injured by Nnoitora and the injury somehow caused her to revert to a childlike form. Orihime healed that injury when I finally got into Las Noches, and she reverted. Nel is one of the arrancar that will fight with me when I go against Aizen, in fact, the only reason I think she agreed to be an Espada was because I got roped into it by Aizen." Ichigo continued, though Yoruichi stopped him with a question.

"She seems to care about you if she's willing to do that." Yoruichi stated in a tone that possessed a slight edge.

"I saved her several times when she was in her child form. Nel ended up coming with me to Las Noches after I arrived in the deserts of Hueco Mundo, and long story short, one of the reasons that she is an adult again is because I found her and she said she was incredibly grateful and would do anything to return the favor." Ichigo explained, though Yoruichi's eyes narrowed slightly towards the end of his last sentence.

"Next is Barragan, the Quinto. I swear he hates me, and I don't really like him all that much either. Not sure exactly why he doesn't like me, but he sure as hell doesn't seem to like anyone really. I'd say he would more likely avoid you, so he shouldn't be a bother to you specifically." Ichigo stated.

"After that is the Cuarto, Ulquiorra. Of all the Espada that I've met, he's the only one that I don't really understand all that much." Ichigo continued.

"How so?" Yoruichi inquired, interested to see exactly what Ichigo had meant.

"He seems to be extremely loyal to Aizen, but I can never tell why. He is intelligent enough to see that killing anything and everything is pointless, but at the same time he is more than capable of defeating most of the arrancar in Hueco Mundo with one hand tied behind his back. So many things about him I just don't understand, but I want to, and maybe when I do I can tell if he will ever go against Aizen. At the moment, I'd say he wouldn't even consider it, but all the same if you ever feel like talking to him, I wouldn't say it's an awful idea." Ichigo replied.

"Ulquiorra… that's the one that went with the big guy to the world of the living, right?" Yoruichi questioned.

"That's him." Ichigo clarified, prompting Yoruichi to nod in understanding.

"Who's after that?" Yoruichi asked, wanting for Ichigo to continue.

"Then there's the Tercera, Halibel. She seems to care more about her fraccion than any of the other Espada except for myself, Starrk, and Nel. I'd say she seems almost human at some instances, actually." Ichigo began.

"Aside from her personality, I'm going to be perfectly honest. She is incredibly powerful and is one of the people I need to be on my side if I ever go against Aizen, I know that for a fact. Thankfully, I think she would fight with us given enough time." Ichigo continued.

"Then there is the Segunda, Starrk. I am pretty positive that Starrk and I are friends, and his fraccion, Lilynette, seems to like me a lot as well. If I went against Aizen, though, Starrk would probably fight for Aizen, or stay out of it entirely. He is really grateful to Aizen for his powers and his position in his army, and after hearing his story, I couldn't really blame him. You see, Starrk used to have an issue with his spiritual pressure. In fact, any hollow that would come near him would die. The only person he had was Lilynette, and Aizen offered him a chance to contain his spiritual energy, to have actual comrades, people he could care about." Ichigo stated.

"Do you think you could get him to fight with you though?" Yoruichi inquired, knowing full well that having the second strongest Espada on their side would be a colossal benefit.

"I don't know… maybe, but it'd take more than just being his friend. I'd have to show him that Aizen doesn't really care about the arrancar, and that isn't something that's easy to prove given that I don't really know if that's true or not right now." Ichigo replied.

"Anyone else I should know about?" Yoruichi asked.

"Well, I didn't say that Risha is one of the arrancar that would fight against Aizen. She never really followed Aizen in the first place, only me." Ichigo replied, though Yoruichi had guessed that much. Still, that didn't quite explain why this was the case.

"Why does Risha seem to be so loyal to you?" Yoruichi inquired, getting the impression that Risha's loyalty to Ichigo was much like Soifon's was to her.

"When I arrived in Hueco Mundo, I took a bit of a detour. Somehow, we got sent into this place called the Menos Forest, an area where hollows are born, basically. I ended up killing the hollow Aizen put in charge of the place, and after he was dead, another group of hollows took over. They were led by a Vasto Lorde who hated Aizen for some reason and called himself a king. Risha was one of his two personal guards and was the strongest hollow of that group by far outside of the king himself." Ichigo began, Yoruichi listening intently to his words.

"She hated the king more than anything but was forced to follow him because she was defeated and allowed to live. When I defeated him, Risha wanted to follow me, and I let her." Ichigo continued, prompting the former captain to nod in understanding.

She actually found that story to be rather sad. It also explained her somewhat emotionless demeanor. After all, being forced to kill wasn't something an emotional person could really cope with.

"Alright then…" Yoruichi trailed off before getting up from her seat.

"Let's get going, we've been here long enough." Yoruichi stated, prompting Ichigo to get up as well before opening a garganta.

The two walked up to it, standing at each other's respective side, but before Ichigo walked into the dark portal, Yoruichi outstretched his arm and stopped him from moving.

"What are you…" Ichigo said before he was cut off in the form of a kiss from Yoruichi.

"Figured one more was needed before we were even." Yoruichi said teasingly before she walked into the garganta, leaving Ichigo behind with a light blush on his face.

"Guess I can't complain." Ichigo thought aloud before following Yoruichi's path.

_**Soul Society: 1**__**st**__** Division's Barracks, Captain's Meeting Room **_

"I thank you for coming on such short notice." Yamamoto stated as he walked down the aisle of the meeting room, his three prized pupils in toe.

"If we are the only ones you have gathered, are we to assume that this pertains to what was taken from the vault?" Unohana questioned as she and the others came to a stop in front of the head captain.

"The information regarding what was stolen has yet to be acquired. Therefore I cannot discuss that at this moment in time." Yamamoto stated, almost disappointedly. The downside to having a vault that very few knew about was that it took quite a bit of time to retrieve its records and track the location of each respective item.

"Then why have you called us here, Head Captain Yamamoto?" Ukitake asked respectfully.

"Simply because I do not have that information does not mean I am unable to discuss the possibilities with the three of you." Yamamoto answered, opening one of his eyes and smirking slightly, an action that surprised the other three.

"Then you have an idea of what Aizen had his Espada take?" Kyoraku questioned, though Unohana interrupted before the head captain could answer.

"Before you answer Shunsui's question, head captain, I have an inquiry of my own that I wish for you to answer." Unohana said, eliciting a nod from Yamamoto as a response.

"It is very clear to me that Sosuke Aizen told his Espada to take a specific item, and your belief that you know what was taken only reinforces my thinking. So my question is, how is it that he knows of the vaults existence and what its contents are?" Unohana asked, though Yamamoto frowned at the question.

"I merely know which items would be most useful to his goals and am unaware of how he came to know about the vault. The information about its contents is not written in any text, and very few people know of the vaults existence." Yamamoto stated.

"Maybe he got it out of one of the Central 46 officials before killing them?" Kyoraku mused, seeing that one of the elders could have known about this information.

"After an incident nearly two and a half centuries ago, the information about the vault has been restricted to the head captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads." Yamamoto replied, however his answer caused all three of his subordinates to widen their eyes slightly.

"Head Captain Yamamoto, does that we aren't meant to have that information?" Ukitake asked in a voice of clear surprise. Yamamoto only nodded in response before making a verbal reply.

"My telling you three is a sign that I trust you… know this and be proud as my trust does not come easily to any being." Yamamoto replied, prompting all three of the captains to smile at their teacher's words.

"As appreciative as I am that you trust us to that extent, I still would like to know why that vault is so top secret, it seems like the captains should have a need of knowing about that sort of thing, if only for the sake of protecting it." Kyoraku thought aloud, raising a good point.

"The vault contains information about the Soul Society's past, about its heroes, about the creation of Central 46, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the founding of the Soul Reaper Academy, all of these things any much, much more… however, not all of the information thrown into the vault is of the benefit to the Soul Society. Secrets like the imprisoning grounds of the Soul Society's greatest threats, those we could not kill, texts of forbidden techniques, dangerous enough that not a soul among any of the dimensions knows how to preform them at this time." Yamamoto explained, pausing to see the reactions of the three respective captains.

Each and every one of them looked at Yamamoto with a serious expression on their features, guessing that whatever Yamamoto was about to say next would be in direct correlation to what he believed Aizen had ordered his Espada to take.

"I do not believe Sosuke Aizen has taken any items in that regard considering that all such texts are untouched. What I believe that Sosuke Aizen has taken has something to do with the history of the royal family and the secrets of the royal guard. If such information is now in his hands, then I expect the personal guard of the Spirit King to become involved in this conflict, and I believe this is Aizen's goal." Yamamoto replied, prompting each and every one of the captain's eyes to widen.

"Why would such a thing warrant a reaction that extreme?" Kyoraku questioned, not seeing how the taking of some record of birth would even remotely cause the intervention of squad zero.

"The Spirit King has a long standing tradition of ambiguity among this realm. The less that people know of him, the better he is able to position himself." Yamamoto replied.

"This is purely speculation, however, and I will not know for certain what has been taken for several more days, until then I would ask that you return to your current duties." Yamamoto ordered, prompting the three captains to nod before bowing slightly and walking out of the room.

"Now that was certainly interesting…" Kyoraku mused after he alongside Unohana and Uktiake walked out of the squad one meeting room.

"It certainly was." Urahara stated as he walked up to the group.

Kyoraku only smirked at seeing Urahara's grin, guessing that the shopkeeper had heard a majority, if not all, of their previous conversation.

"You really ought to be less nosy, what would Yoruichi say if she knew you were eavesdropping?" Unohana joked, though Urahara's grin dropped slightly.

"She'd probably just hit me over the head and ask why I didn't invite her." Urahara replied jokingly, eliciting a slight chuckle from the other three present.

"Where is Yoruichi anyway, I haven't seen her since the meeting the other morning, is she alright?" Unohana questioned, though Urahara seemed to freeze for a brief second before giving a reply.

"She went back to my shop in the World of the Living. After the yesterday's events, she felt she had to relax a bit." Urahara replied.

Unohana gave Urahara a skeptical look seeing as how that didn't sound like something Yoruichi would do after a battle that resulted in the partial destruction of the heart of the Soul Society. Yoruichi would have likely stayed and helped with the recovery process or at the very least watch over Sofion since she had been injured.

However, before the healer could voice her skepticism, a hell butterfly approached Urahara, clearly bearing some kind of message for the shopkeeper.

"Excuse me for a moment." Urahara said respectfully before touching the butterfly so as to relay the message.

'_**Boss, come back to the World of the Living as quickly as you can. There is something I need to speak to you about… it involves Lady Yoruichi, and trust me when I say that this is urgent.**_' The voice of Tessai sounded out. Urahara gave a surprised look upon opening his eyes, something that caused Unohana to raise a brow.

"Something the matter?" Unohana inquired curiously.

"I don't know… Yoruichi just called me back to Karakura Town, she said it was urgent." Urahara replied, conveniently replacing the messenger so as to appease the female captain.

'_Perhaps I was just being paranoid._' Unohana thought, smiling back at Urahara before she spoke again.

"Tell her that I said hello, it's been quite some time since we've spoken one on one." Unohana said sweetly, prompting Urahara to smile and nod in response.

"Tell her we said hi as well." Kyoraku added, placing his arm over Ukitake to illustrate who he was referring to.

"Of course… well, I guess I'll see you all later then." Urahara said before vanishing in the blur of flash step.

"Damn, forgot to ask him about what he thought about the old man's explanation… oh well, I guess that can wait." Kyoraku mused before looking at his two companions.

"It may be better that we wait since we still don't know exactly what is missing." Ukitake replied.

"Perhaps…" Unohana trailed off, sounding as if she had something on her mind. Ukitake and Kyoraku looked at their mutual friend and saw a skeptical look about her, and that usually meant something was off.

"Something wrong, Retsu?" Kyoraku inquired, raising a curious brow.

"It's just that… I find it odd that Yoruichi would simply leave the Soul Society after all the fighting that took place. I simply have this feeling that there is something he isn't telling us." Unohana replied, still appearing deep in thought.

"On top of that, I never felt her spiritual pressure leave the Soul Society via a Senkaimon, something that I find incredibly discomforting." Unohana added.

"Now, now, Retsu, if we start to get suspicious of each other, then Aizen has already won." Kyoraku commented, prompting Unohana to break her look of seriousness and smile genuinely at the eight division's captain.

"Very true Shunsui, but you can understand my skepticism given what has happened." Unohana stated, prompting Kyoraku to nod in understanding.

"At the moment, I believe it best that we focus on repairing the barracks, after which we will be able to increase our strength so as to better prepare for fighting Aizen in the future." Ukitake stated before walking off.

Shunsui did the same and began to walk towards the eighth, but Unohana hadn't opted to walk off towards her barracks. Rather, she began to walk towards the gates of the Senkaimon.

'_It is best I see for myself what is going on._' Unohana thought before using flash step to head towards her destination.

So many pieces of this puzzle were not making sense anymore. The kidnapping of Orihime Inoue, the death of Ichigo Kurosaki, the invasion of the Espada, the fact that Aizen knew of the vault, and that she hadn't sensed Yoruichi leave the Soul Society, and yet, she was indeed gone.

As she neared the gates of the Senkaimon, she recalled the feeling she had had when she examined Aizen's fake body before his betrayal came to light. She was suspicious, she didn't believe what was really happening, and that made her uneasy. Whenever this feeling reared its ugly head, she knew that something was off, and that only gave her cause to find out what that something was.

"Captain Unohana, this is quite a surprise." One of the gatekeepers commented, somewhat confused as to why the healer was at the gates to the Senkaimon.

"Calibrate the gate towards Karakrua Town, I will be leaving on urgent business immediately." Unohana stated. The guards all scrambled before simultaneously responding.

"Yes sir!"

Several moments had passed, and she began to wonder what she would do if Yoruichi was, in fact, simply in the World of the Living at Urahara's Shop, possibly training, or even working on some form of a technique. At that point she could merely say she wished to tell her that Soifon had recovered rather quickly. That would suffice as a good excuse.

"The gate is ready, captain." One of the guards stated, bowing slightly to the renowned healer.

'_This could be a mere coincidence… but I don't believe in them._' Unohana thought before walking through the Senkaimon.

_**Las Noches: Ichigo's Room**_

"You know, say what you want about the Senkaimon, but traveling by way of the Garganta is much creepier." Yoruichi commented after she and Ichigo walked out of the dark portal and into his room.

"Oh I'm sorry, you'd prefer purple ooze on the walls and a giant ass cleaner chasing you down every other trip?" Ichigo questioned sarcastically, causing Yoruichi to scowl at him.

"The sarcasm wasn't appreciated, and at least you have an actual ground to walk on in the Dangai." Yoruichi countered.

"I know, but I was just saying." Ichigo replied.

"Whatever… anyway, what are you up to for the rest of today?" Yoruichi asked, genuinely curious as to what constituted as a normal day since Ichigo had "joined" Aizen.

"I don't really know, but I guess…" Ichigo said before an abrupt knock on his door cut him off.

'_Who the hell could that be?_' Yoruichi and Ichigo wondered simultaneously, though Ichigo was the one to walk up to the door and open it.

"Yeah?" Ichigo asked tiredly as he opened the door. On the other side, none other than Gin Ichimaru was present, bearing his usual grin and looking rather amused for some reason.

"Now what kind of a greeting is that? And here I thought we were friends." Gin stated, prompting Ichigo to sigh and Yoruichi to roll her eyes.

"Anyway… why are you here?" Ichigo asked in an emotionless voice, his deadpanned expression illustrating that he wasn't amused.

"Your such a killjoy, can't I just stop by and visit our dear Primera Espada?" Gin asked.

"You never have before." Ichigo pointed out.

"True enough… I really just wanted to see how your trip to the world of the living was." Gin stated, causing Yoruichi's eyes to widen slightly and for Ichigo to raise a brow.

"So does Aizen want to see me or something?" Ichigo inquired, though Gin simply shook his head.

"Not at all… in fact, he didn't even seem to mind that you had left. Something about leeway or something like that, I wasn't really listening too intently." Gin replied, waving his hand nonchalantly as he finished.

"But the best part was that I'm not the only one who knew you were gone." Gin chirped, causing Ichigo to give him a confused look.

Gin raised a brow and kept his characteristic grin, giving Ichigo the impression that he should know what he had meant. Realization hit him a second later, after which his skin paled slightly.

"When was the last time you've spoken to Halibel or Nelliel anyway? I'm sure they would just _kill _to have a conversation with you. Perhaps even Risha would like to hear about what happened." Gin said, ending on a suggestive note, causing Ichigo to gulp.

'_Wait… he couldn't know what happened anyway, let alone be able to tell them._' Ichigo thought, regaining his composure upon realizing this.

"What is he talking about?" Yoruichi asked confusedly, looking to the orange-haired former substitute for an explanation.

"Not entirely sure, but he makes it seem like they're mad at me for some reason?" Ichigo semi-asked, prompting Gin to nod so as to confirm this.

"Why would that be?" Yoruichi asked, once again sounding confused.

"Let's see… Risha would be mad that I didn't bring her with me, Nel would be mad because she usually likes to know when I leave Las Noches, and Halibel because… well I don't really know why." Ichigo said, saying a mix of absolute lies and white-lies. He knew very well why they would be mad, but he couldn't exactly explain that to Yoruichi. After all, he did like living.

"Are you sure that's the reason, you can't think of anything else?" Gin prodded, smirking as he saw Ichigo scowl at him. Yoruichi's expression seemed neutral, which meant that she didn't even know a thing about what Gin was referring to, and that meant he could have some fun.

"I'd better go and talk to them." Ichigo thought aloud, deciding that if he was going to enter the lion's den it may as well be sooner rather than later.

"Actually, let me go and talk to them. If all three of them are your… friends, and they're mad at you because of me, I'd at least like to explain a few things. Plus, it'll be nice to finally meet the three of them." Yoruichi stated, prompting Ichigo to inwardly panic.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea! I could see you four being phenomenal friends." Gin stated, prompting Yoruichi to raise a confused brow at his odd tone.

"Yeah… where are they right now?" Yoruichi inquired.

"Down the hall in Halibel's room, can't miss it." Gin replied, pointing towards the direction of the door. Yoruichi nodded before running off. Ichigo extended a hand in order to stop her, but missed her by a good amount.

"Have fun." Gin chirped, waving as Yoruichi walked down the hall.

Ichigo made to go after her, but Gin extended his right arm and blocked the doorway, prompting Ichigo to scowl at the teal-haired man.

"Now where do you think you're going off to?" Gin asked rhetorically, his grin increasing in size.

"Is that really you're concern?" Ichigo shot back, wanting to get this over with so he could stop Yoruichi.

"Since Lord Aizen wants to speak to you, yes, yes it is." Gin replied, causing Ichigo's brow to twitch.

"You just said he didn't want to see me!" Ichigo shouted, a tick mark appearing on his head.

"I lied." Gin replied simply before taking his hand off the door.

"Now don't go and keep Lord Aizen waiting, after all, not even I know why he wants to see you. Oh… and he's in his personal quarters, simply knock." Gin stated, prompting Ichigo to sigh.

He walked out the door, looked towards Halibel's room and then disappeared in the static buzz of sonido.

_**World of the Living: Karakura Town, Urahara's Shop**_

"It's good to be back!" Urahara chirped, stretching his limbs as he walked through the shops door.

Urahara began to look around, at the very least expecting Jinta or Ururu to greet him at the door. However, the shop was soundless, except for the vague sound of voices from behind the door that lead to the common area.

"Tessai!" Urahara yelled, trying to get the attention of the former kido corps commander, regardless of where he currently was within the shop.

He approached the doors to the common area, a confused expression on his normally carefree face. If Tessai said what he needed to say was urgent, then the very least he could have done was greeted him at the door.

"Tess…" Urahara said as he opened the door, only to stop midsentence at the sight of a captain's haori with the symbol of the fourth division being worn by none other than Captain Unohana as she sat on the couch.

"Hey boss, I thank you for your expedient arrival." Tessai greeted, though Urahara just hung his head and sighed.

"Not fast enough, apparently." Urahara mumbled before picking his head up and heading over to the seats.

Unohana gave him a menacingly sweet smile, something that he knew he deserved given what the captain likely knew to be true at this point.

"Hello Kisuke Urahara, I am so glad you could join us." Unohana stated in an overly sweet, yet incredibly scary tone.

"H-hey Captain Unohana, it's so wonderful to see you again." Urahara said with fear evident in his voice as he took a seat in a chair that was conveniently put Tessai in-between himself and Unohana.

"I was just speaking to Tessai about how I wanted to speak to Yoruichi, but he tells me that she isn't here and that the last he heard she was still in the Soul Society, isn't that right Tessai?" Unohana said, prompting Tessai to nod before he tried to get Urahara to play along with his version of the lie.

"Yes, I have yet to receive word that she has come back. She's still there, right boss?" Tessai asked, keeping a calm and emotionless tone.

"Ummmmm…" Urahara trailed off, seeing Unohana narrow her eyes at him.

"You may both drop the act, I am aware that you were both lying." Unohana stated, surprising Tessai but giving no new information to Urahara.

"I beg your pardon." Tessai exclaimed, raising a brow to illustrate his innocence.

"If you're going to try to play innocent, you should know that I hate liars, and that people I hate, well…" Unohana stated, a dark aura now surrounding her and causing Tessai to sweat bullets.

She may have been the only captain in the thirteen court guard squads other than Yamamoto who possessed the inane ability to scare the living hell out of anyone.

"I know that if Yoruichi isn't here then you are the only person who would send a message via a hell butterfly to call Kisuke Urahara back to the world of the living. I am also aware that Yoruichi isn't in the Soul Society at this very moment, and that she is quite alive. On top of that, neither of you two knows where she is, which was clear by that message you sent." Unohana stated, prompting Urahara to look at the healer with widened eyes.

"How did you even hear that?!" Urahara exclaimed, prompting Unohana to smirk at the shopkeeper.

"Now what kind of person reveals all of their secrets?" Unohana asked teasingly, prompting Urahara to deadpan.

'_What does that even mean?!_' Urahara wondered.

"Regardless, there is no longer any sense in either of you lying to me and I will not allow you to keep information about Yoruichi's whereabouts away from me. I am her friend and have just as much of a right to know as either of you." Unohana stated firmly, her tone lacking any semblance of sweetness and full of conviction.

Urahara simply looked at Tessai considering that he didn't even have a clue as to what the man was going to tell him about.

"The information I am about to transfer is incredibly important and it was requested that I only tell Kisuke as well as Captain Soifon. That in mind, if you are capable of keeping this information secret until we are informed otherwise, I will gladly inform you of what has happened." Tessai stated, eliciting a nod of understanding form Unohana.

"Very well… as either of you can likely guess at this point, Lady Yoruichi left the Soul Society but has not returned to Karakura Town… I know the reason for this. She was taken to Las Noches during the battle in the Soul Society." Tessai began, causing Unohana to widen her eyes slightly.

"She was kidnapped?" The healer exclaimed, sounding slightly panicked.

"I think you're missing the big picture Captain Unohana. Before I explain how exactly this is relevant, I need to explain that Ichigo and Yoruichi have developed a… complicated… relationship. Specifically before he left for Hueco Mundo and was presumed dead." Urahara stated, prompting the captain of the fourth to give him a look that illustrated her confusion.

"I hope that you mean to say they are romantically attached because I can only take that to mean one or two other things." Unohana said, prompting Urahara to raise a brow.

"Ummm, yes, that is what I meant…" Urahara replied, sounding as if he was clueless as to what else that could have meant.

"Anyway, I have always had a sneaking suspicion that Ichigo was never really killed when he went to Hueco Mundo. Aizen has been interested in his powers for some time, and I believe that Aizen used Orihime to get Ichigo to Las Noches before trapping him in some manner. Now if Aizen wanted to get Ichigo to fight for him, he would have to persuade him somehow…" Urahara trailed off, prompting Unohana's eyes to widen slightly as she realized what the shopkeeper had meant.

"You believe that Yoruichi was kidnapped so that Sosuke Aizen could control Ichigo Kurosaki." Unohana realized, prompting Urahara to nod, a grim expression present on his face.

"I am afraid that this isn't quite the case, boss." Tessai stated, breaking up the conversation and immediately getting the attention of the other two people present.

"Lady Yoruichi was indeed taken to Las Noches, but not for the purposes of manipulating Ichigo. In fact, Ichigo was the one who brought Yoruichi to Las Noches." Tessai explained, prompting Unohana and Urahara to widen their eyes in shock.

"What do you mean Tessai?" Urahara asked.

Tessai began to explain what had happened to Ichigo since his journey to Las Noches. His rank as an Espada, the loss of his memories, the fact that he was behind the invasion, and the fact that he intended to take Aizen down from inside Las Noches.

"So Ichigo… has become an arrancar, and the Primera Espada no less." Unohana said, being absolutely flabbergasted.

"Then that means that he was…" Unohana trialed off, recalling what she was told by Kyoraku of the Espada that seemed to lead the group of arrancar. The fact that he had done the impossible by destroying the barrier, that he had taken down several strong warriors without even releasing, the fact that he had the guts to stare down Head Captain Yamamoto and demand that he allow them to leave.

She knew Ichigo was strong, but what kind of dormant powers must he have had to give him such strength.

"I feel the need to tell you that he isn't a complete arrancar, and therefore I believe it is possible that his soul be returned to his body should he still be living when this is all over." Tessai commented.

"So… Ichigo wants us to sit by and wait while he tried to take down Aizen in Las Noches, is that the gist of it?" Urahara questioned, having been able to easily absorb the information he was given.

"That just about covers it." Tessai replied in all seriousness.

"That's all well and good, but what happens if and when he defeats Sosuke Aizen, has he considered what the ramifications would be for joining the enemy and invading the Soul Society?" Unohana asked. She had great faith in the boy ever since he had invaded the Soul Society and flushed out Aizen's conspiracy, but that in mind, he had to have had at least some sense of what was going to happen rather than just making it up as he goes.

"If he does, he chose not to inform me." Tessai replied, prompting Unohana to deadpan.

'_Is he serious?_' Unohana wondered. She checked to see if the man was lying, but saw no signs of such things, and that, in turn, confused her greatly.

"Well, at least we know that it's the real Ichigo that came here." Urahara chirped, grinning at this point considering that he now had more pieces of the proverbial puzzle.

"How so?" Unohana inquired, genuinely wishing to know how the shopkeeper knew.

"Because if he acutely had thought this through, then we'd know he was a fake." Urahara replied, prompting Unohana's brow to twitch.

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" Unohana asked.

"Yes, seriously, how unsettling would it have been if the Ichigo that took Yoruichi to Las Noches was a fake? At least this way, we know he is in good hands… that is, if Yoruichi doesn't kill him for leaving her, of course." Urahara replied.

_**Las Noches: Outside Halibel's Room**_

"Well, here goes nothing." Yoruichi said to herself before knocking on the door of the Tercera's room.

"You can come in." A female's voice came out. It seemed soft and feminine, almost cute.

Yoruichi opened the door to find the three women she was told of sitting or standing at different locations. Nel appeared to be laying on the Tercera's bedspread for some reason, Risha was leaning on a wall that was near the door, and Halibel herself was staring off into the training grounds outside her room.

"Nelliel, do not make a habit of inviting people into my room." Halibel said calmly, prompting Nel to laugh sheepishly.

"Sorry." Nel replied.

"If I am interrupting something, I can come back later." Yoruichi stated. Her voice was instantly recognized by the other three women present and they turned to face her as she walked towards the center of the room.

'_So it appears they are back… but why is she here?_' Halibel wondered. This did however save them the trouble of finding her and informing her of their arrangement, so it didn't matter all that much.

"Gin Ichimaru told me that you were all in here and I thought I'd introduce myself. The name is Yoruichi Shihoin, nice to meet you all." Yoruichi greeted respectfully, her voice having a sweet tone to it.

**A/N Next chapter will be posted Friday, also, for the reviews, this chapter I decided to answer questions and such, but if you did review and complimented the story, thanks, every bit of praise I get for this keeps me going! **

_**Explanations**_:

**Next Chapter**: Cat fight, that's all I got.

_**Reviews**_:

**99 luffy**: Ulquiorra joining Ichigo… can't say as it would ruin the plot, but I will say that no one will really see what I am planning next, that is, after the next few chapters when the Harem is all set up.

**hornet07**: Once again, I don't mind the nitpicks at all… literally, at all. In fact, I almost prefer them so I can just go back and fix them, so thanks for that! Also, Ichigo won't be harmed bodily by the women anymore in this story, at least, I am not planning to have that happen.

**SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan**: The Harem comes into play I think three chapters from this one, but that is because I have stuff happen in between, so everything will be set up soon. The catfight though, that happens next chapter.


	39. Catfight

**A/N Here is Chapter 39, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

**Chapter 39**

_**Las Noches: Outside Halibel's Room**_

"Well, here goes nothing." Yoruichi said to herself before knocking on the door of the Tercera's room.

"You can come in." A female's voice came out. It seemed soft and feminine, almost cute.

Yoruichi opened the door to find the three women she was told of sitting or standing at different locations. Nel appeared to be laying on the Tercera's bedspread for some reason, Risha was leaning on a wall that was near the door, and Halibel herself was staring off into the training grounds outside her room.

"Nelliel, do not make a habit of inviting people into my room." Halibel said calmly, prompting Nel to laugh sheepishly.

"Sorry." Nel replied.

"If I am interrupting something, I can come back later." Yoruichi stated. Her voice was instantly recognized by the other three women present and they turned to face her as she walked towards the center of the room.

'_So it appears they are back… but why is she here?_' Halibel wondered. This did however save them the trouble of finding her and informing her of their arrangement, so it didn't matter all that much.

"Gin Ichimaru told me that you were all in here and I thought I'd introduce myself. The name is Yoruichi Shihoin, nice to meet you all." Yoruichi greeted respectfully, her voice having a sweet tone to it.

"We are aware of who you are." Halibel practically snapped, her tone surprising Yoruichi a good bit considering it seemed as if she had offended the Espada in some way.

"Be nice Tia." Nel chided in a whisper, prompting the blond-haired Espada to roll her eyes out of mild contempt for such a notion. It wasn't that she was against allowing Yoruichi to "compete" against her, but she was not entirely okay with everything that the woman was involved in thus far.

Ichigo had gone out of his way to get her from the Soul Society, he had then spent the night with that women, during which any number of things _could_ have happened, and then she had likely persuaded Ichigo into leaving Las Noches in favor of the world of the living, an action that had not only been hidden from her, but was also done without Aizen's direct consent.

"My name is Nelliel Tu Odelshvank, but you can just call me Nel." Nel greeted, giving off a seemingly genuine smile to Yoruichi, who returned the gesture.

"Oh so you're the one who Ichigo found on his way to Las Noches." Yoruichi recalled, eliciting a nod of confirmation from Nel.

"Yes, did he tell you that?" Nel questioned, genuinely curious as to whether or not this woman had been told about her, or even the others for that matter.

"Yes, Ichigo told me about each of you and I have only ever talked to Risha in person. He seems to trust you three so I figured I should introduce myself." Yoruichi replied.

"Well just the same it's nice to meet you." Nel stated.

"We have already met, but my name is Risha Midori." Risha said once Nel had appeared to be done her greeting.

"We may as well be meeting for the first time considering I wasn't very talkative after I got here." Yoruichi stated, prompting Risha to nod her head in understanding.

"My name is Tia Halibel." Halibel simply sounded off, not sounding all too happy in her introduction.

"You're the Tercera Espada, right?" Yoruichi asked, wanting to make sure that this was actually the one that Ichigo believed he needed to fight with him. He had said that the Tercera would likely fight with him if he confronted her about it, but the way she acted didn't make it seem as if that was the case.

"Yes, that is my rank in the Espada." Halibel replied.

"So… mind if I ask what you three are doing in here?" Yoruichi inquired, prompting Halibel to sigh.

"Actually, we were waiting for Ichigo and you to get back so that we could talk to you about something." Nel stated, prompting Yoruichi to raise a curious brow.

'_Did Ichigo already talk to them about going against Aizen?_' Yoruichi wondered, having not recalled being told such a thing by Ichigo.

Abruptly, the three women looked at one another before nodding, after which they turned their sights towards Yoruichi once more.

"Earlier today we were made _graphically_ aware of your feelings towards Ichigo…" Halibel began, prompting Yoruichi to grow astronomically confused.

"That in mind, we felt the need to inform you that each of us has feelings for him as well, and that we…"

_**Las Noches: Outside Aizen's Room**_

Ichigo knocked on the personal chambers of the ruler of Hueco Mundo, inwardly nervous about more than one thing at this point. On one hand, it was entirely possible that Aizen had been upset with him about leaving, and that gave him cause to be nervous. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that he simply wanted Ichigo to go on another mission of some sort or just talk to him, but which it was he couldn't really have a way of knowing.

"Enter." A voice called out from behind the door, giving Ichigo all the permission he needed to open the door.

"Ah Ichigo, what a pleasant surprise." Aizen greeted, prompting Ichigo to raise a brow as he walked towards the chair that Aizen currently sat, which happened to be near a coffee table.

"How could it be a surprise? You wanted me to come see you." Ichigo pointed out, though this time Aizen raised his eyebrow.

"I ordered nothing of the sort… who was it that told you such a thing?" Aizen inquired. It took a moment for Ichigo to register what had just happened, but he soon realized the situation.

"ICHIMARU!" Ichigo shouted, sending a blast of sound reverberating around half of the palace that was Las Noches.

_**Las Noches: Hallways**_

"ICHIMARU!" A voice echoed rather loudly in the hallway.

"Um, what the hell was that?" Grimmjow exclaimed, looking at Nnoitora for an answer, however the Septima only shrugged his shoulders.

_**Las Noches: Gin's Room**_

"ICHIMARU!"

Gin just smirked evilly at the sound of his name being yelled by who he presumed was Ichigo.

"Oh good, he found out." Gin stated contentedly.

_**Las Noches: Halibel's Room**_

Yoruichi stood, her eyes widened and her mouth agape at what she was just told. Each of these three, rather attractive, women had each had some kind of an encounter with Ichigo in a romantic sense. On top of that, they each knew about these encounters and had agreed to "compete", as it were, with one another over Ichigo.

The general theme was that Ichigo didn't find out and whoever he would choose, the others would have to deal with it. It seemed like a generally decent idea since it didn't give Ichigo a big ego, it didn't put pressure on him, and it made the "competition" somewhat fair. On the other hand…

"You've got to be kidding me…" Yoruichi exclaimed, her words being the thoughts of the other three the moment that they found out as well.

"We're quite serious." Risha stated, though Yoruichi just seemed to be more shocked upon her reply.

"Believe me when I say that this isn't preferable to all of us either, but we have each agreed and now we would like for you to enter the arrangement." Halibel said in an emotionless manner.

Yoruichi was at a loss for words. Not only had Ichigo left her to go to Hueco Mundo, without telling her, but he had also kissed and expressed feelings for three other women since he left. But she would deal with that later, right now she had a very clear point to get across.

"You three really think that I will agree to something like that?" Yoruichi asked rhetorically, the concept of the whole thing still somewhat surprising to her.

"Each of us did." Risha commented.

"I don't really know how things work here in Hueco Mundo, but traditionally the guy dates one girl at a time, then if it doesn't work out, they both move on. So my answer is no." Yoruichi stated.

"This is not the world of the living Yoruichi Shihoin, we are hollows, not Soul Reapers, and not humans, and our ways of courting work differently." Halibel countered, prompting Yoruichi to scowl.

"Ichigo isn't a hollow and he never will be." Yoruichi stated in a tone that was dangerously calm, however now it was Halibel's turn to scowl. Nel and Risha frowned at this as well, both being rather proud of their current state of being and taking some comfort in the fact that Ichigo was similar to each of them.

"That is where you are wrong. He may not be a full arrancar, but the elements of a hollow are there within his soul, and that is something that he cannot change. If you aren't capable of accepting that, then perhaps you are not worthy of him." Halibel stated venomously, prompting Nel and Risha to cringe at both the harshness of her words and the expected reaction from Yoruichi.

"If you truly cared about him at all, then his being part hollow shouldn't even be a factor, but perhaps your feelings for him aren't quite that strong." Halibel added, prompting the goddess of the flash to nearly dig her nails into the palms of her hands.

"Are you implying that you care more about Ichigo than I do?" Yoruichi asked dangerously.

"And if I am?" Halibel retorted, prompting Yoruichi to glare at the blond-haired Espada and Yoruichi to return the gesture.

'_So much for this working out…_' Nel thought as she released a tired sigh. She couldn't let this escalate into a serious fight considering that Ichigo definitely wouldn't want that to happen.

"You two need to calm down, as in right now. This isn't the way to settle this, and both of you know it." Nel chided, though her words didn't seem to deter the two women in the least.

"Actually Nelliel, perhaps this is indeed the way we should settle this." Halibel mused, her glare still fixed on Yoruichi.

"I thought we agreed not to fight over him." Risha stated, knowing full well that this wasn't going to end well.

If they fought and Ichigo found out, then he would be disappointed in each of them to a high degree, for more reason than one. But if they did fight and she weren't to take part in it, then perhaps she would lose her chance to be with Ichigo, and that wasn't preferable either.

"Tia, don't do this, if he finds out then…" Nel said before she was cut off.

"He doesn't need to find out, and if we finish this quickly, he won't." Halibel stated.

"Then am I to assume that the winner of this little fight gets to pursue Ichigo." Risha thought aloud.

"Yes." Halibel simply replied, prompting Nel to sigh.

"If you want me to beat the hell out of you blondie, be my guest." Yoruichi challenged, prompting Halibel to glare at her once more.

"We're really going to do this?" Nel asked in a disappointed fashion. Though she was a more than capable fighter, she hated conflict of any kind a good degree, believing it to be a waste of their intellectual abilities.

"Yes." Halibel, Yoruichi, and to a lesser extent, Risha, replied.

'_If I have no choice…_' Nel thought.

"So what are the ground rules?" Yoruichi asked heatedly, wanting to get into the fight as quickly as possible at the moment.

"I believe Nelliel should set them." Halibel stated. If anyone was going to set into place rules that would make sure nothing too extreme was done, it would be her.

"Okay… firstly, and this goes without saying, no killing or serious injuries. We can't use our releases, and in Yoruichi's case, she cannot use her Bankai or Shikai." Nel began, though Yoruichi cut her off.

"I do not have a zanpakuto." Yoruichi stated, prompting Nel and the others to raise a brow. Though each wanted her to elaborate, the task at hand seemed more important.

"If that is the case, then I need to revise the next rule… any loss of blood takes someone out of the fight, but I'm not sure what to do in your case…" Nel trailed off, looking at Yoruichi with a curious expression. However, the purple-haired woman just glared at Halibel, specifically and intentionally.

"That just means I have to hit harder." Yoruichi stated, prompting Halibel's glare to intensify, and Yoruichi to respond in kind.

"The use of high energy attacks should be off limits for more than one reason that I don't feel I need to explain, but other than that I can't really think of anything." Nel thought aloud.

"Then we can begin… let us head down to the training area, we will need a good open space to fight." Halibel stated before vanishing via sonido.

Risha disappeared a second later, leaving Yoruichi and Nel alone and by themselves.

"Don't let her attitude lessen your opinion of her. From what I can tell, she seems to be taking the fact that you and Ichigo slept together very personally." Nel stated before leaving as well.

'_She probably thinks… oh well, no sense in telling her that we didn't really do anything._' Yoruichi thought, deciding to file that away for possible use in the fight.

_**Las Noches: Aizen's Personal Quarters **_

"Was that necessary?" Aizen questioned tiredly, now holding the glass handle of what was a former teacup, the rest of it being shattered under the vibrations from the scream.

"If you knew, then… never mind." Ichigo said, prompting Aizen to raise a brow as he poured himself another cup of tea.

"Exactly what is it that Gin has done now?" Aizen asked before taking a sip of his tea.

"Well, to tell you that I'd have to explain so many things, and I don't really…" Ichigo said before being cut off.

"If you are referring to the fact that Gin is quite intentionally sabotaging your potential relationships with your fraccion, the Sexta Espada, the Tercera Espada, as well as Yoruichi Shihoin, then I am perfectly aware of the situation." Aizen stated, prompting Ichigo to look at his with widened eyes. At this, Aizen simply took another sip of tea, maintaining a calm demeanor.

"Something the matter?" Aizen inquired once he could tell that Ichigo wasn't in the state of mind to say anything.

"You know this how?" Ichigo asked with a deadpanned expression.

"I was there when he originally expressed his intent to do so." Aizen replied, prompting Ichigo's eyebrow to twitch.

"A little heads up would have been nice." Ichigo partially whined.

"Speaking of which, where were you for most of the day again?" Aizen countered, prompting Ichigo to chuckle nervously.

"Then I guess I should apologize." Ichigo said in defeat, prompting Aizen to chuckle.

"As long as you are here, I may as well ask you a question or two about your journey." Aizen mused, putting his cup of tea on the table over a coaster before shifting his attention to Ichigo once again.

"Go ahead." Ichigo said in a nonchalant manner.

"Tell me, how was returning to Urahara's Shop? Also, that reminds me… you simply must tell me how Tessai is doing, it's been so long since I've seen him." Aizen said, prompting Ichigo's eyes to nearly shoot out of his head.

_**Karakura Town: Urahara's Shop, Underground Training Facility**_

"Alright, then I will be taking my leave now." Unohana stated as she unsheathed her zanpakuto.

"Unlock." Unohana uttered, shifting her sword as if it were a key and opening the portal that lead to the Soul Society.

"Before I leave, I should tell you that you won't live to see another day if you lie to my face once more, Kisuke Urahara." Unohana said in a sweet, but incredibly ominous, tone.

"T-take c-care." Urahara said in a highly afraid tone as he waved the captain off.

Once Unohana had left, Urahara nearly collapsed before turning to face Tessai.

"She is by far the scariest woman I have ever met in my life." Urahara said in a still slightly afraid voice.

"She may be scary, but at least we know she will keep her word." Tessai stated, prompting Urahara to nod in agreement seeing as how that was, in fact, true.

"But know that she is gone…" Tessai trailed off, giving the shopkeeper the indication that he had purposefully left something out of his explanation.

"Yes, what is it?" Urahara asked curiously, lifting his head so that one eye was glancing at Tessai to illustrate his want for the man to continue.

"Ichigo told me that the Hogyoku had the effect of turning him into some form of hybrid, from what I could tell… and that was something that even now still confuses me. I was under the impression that the Hogyoku had the ability to break the boundary between hollow and Soul Reaper, but if that were the case it would not be capable of making Ichigo a perfect hybrid given his… heritage." Tessai trailed off, prompting Urahara to frown.

'_Well, if Ichigo isn't a complete arrancar, then that at least gives me some form of comfort._' Urahara thought, trying to see the silver lining to this.

"Boss?" Tessai called out, raising an eyebrow considering Urahara looked rather serious at the moment.

"The Hogyoku isn't really an object that breaks the bounds between Soul Reapers and hollows… it has the ability to grant the innermost desires of its owner. It can't directly grant wishes or anything like that, but it is capable of setting them on the path to do so." Urahara began, prompting Tessai to sweat lightly and take a step back.

"I don't know its limits, but once it awakens I can only imagine." Urahara continued.

'_That kind of power shouldn't even exist… and yet it does… in the hands of Aizen._' Tessai thought out of worry.

"It gets worse… if the Hogyoku is capable of doing something like that, then it is getting closer and closer to creating a transcendent being… and that means that its evolution is further on than I expected." Urahara stated, prompting Tessai's eyes to widen.

"Will you be able to tell when it will be at full power?" Tessai asked in a hopeful manner.

"No… if I underestimated the growth of the Hogyoku before, then I have no way of knowing when it will fully awaken." Urahara admitted, prompting Tessai to frown considering that this once again put them at a disadvantage.

"But right now, we can't worry about that… call Ryuken and Isshin and get them to come to the shop, they need to know this as well." Urahara stated before he walked off into the training room, prompting Tessai to raise a curious brow.

"Sure thing boss… but where are you going?" Tessai inquired an instant before a Senkaimon opened up in front of Urahara.

"To get Soifon of course." Urahara said with mock happiness before the doors to the Seknaimon opened and he began his journey.

_**Las Noches: Training Area **_

Each of the four women stood in one of the four seemingly imaginary corners of the battlefield, though the fighting pairs seemed to be rather obvious. Halibel stood across from Yoruichi, each glaring at each other and merely waiting for the fighting to begin. Nel and Risha were opposite each other and simply looked warily at one another.

'_I hope this doesn't get out of hand._' Nel and Risha thought similarly, however the thoughts of the other two were quite different.

'_You are going down…_' Halibel and Yoruichi thought similarly.

"So are you three ready?" Yoruichi asked, though her eyes never wondered away from Halibel.

"More than ready." Halibel replied before drawing her zanpakuto, though she did wait for Nel and Risha to respond before she would make a move.

"I suppose…" Risha trailed off uncertainty, looking at Nel for her confirmation.

"As I'll ever be." Nel thought aloud before drawing her sword.

"Good!" Halibel and Yoruichi exclaimed simultaneously before they charged one another.

Nel and Risha looked at the two and blinked surprised. Very rapidly, Halibel and Yoruichi were striking at each other, Halibel using her zanpakuto and Yoruichi using her fists.

Each was incredibly adept at evading the other's attacks before mounting a counter offensive, and that pattern seemed to continue until they noticed that Nel and Risha hadn't moved yet.

"Let's take this somewhere else." Yoruichi stated before leaving in the blur of flash step. Halibel followed wordlessly, leaving Nel and Risha lone with one another.

"So I guess we should start?" Nel asked hesitantly.

"Very well." Risha replied. She immediately unsheathed her sword after she spoke, and then she vanished from sight.

Not even a moment later, she was in front of Nel and delivered a powerful horizontal slash across Nel's torso, aiming directly below her breasts but above her stomach.

The green-haired Espada lunged backwards, but her clothing had been slightly cut by the attack, however no blood was drawn. The abruptness of the presumed sneak-attack caused Nel to glare at Risha, but she quickly noticed that the inadequately classified fraccion seemed to be confused.

"I'm sorry, were you not ready?" Risha asked apologetically, prompting Nel to sigh.

"Never mind…" Nel trailed off before she raised her sword and charged Risha.

_**With Halibel and Yoruichi**_

"You know, you could just give up so I don't have to kick your ass." Yoruichi offered as she sent a kick aimed towards Halibel's stomach.

Halibel used sonido to dodge the kick and appeared across from Yoruichi before making her reply.

"It isn't my 'ass' that will be 'kicked'." Halibel replied before her sword began to glow with yellow spiritual energy. She raised the zanpakuto and cocked it back, aiming the tip directly at Yoruichi, who had yet to take her eyes off of the Tercera.

"Ola Azul!" Halibel shouted, firing off a slew of the powerful attacks at the goddess of the flash.

Much to her surprise, the golden energy bullets missed one by one as she fired repeatedly in an attempt to land a direct hit. However, she very quickly realized that not only was her opponent dodging the attacks, she was moving forward in an attempt to find an opening.

Upon realizing this, Halibel opted to pick up the pace of her strikes, but yet again, none of the attacks made contact.

Yoruichi, taking advantage that her opponent had clearly underestimated her speed, appeared at Halibel's side upon getting close enough and delivered a swift kick to the Tercera's ribs.

The kick packed enough power that it caused Halibel to nearly lose her balance, however, she had maintained her form and opted to perform a counter attack aimed directly at the woman's ample chest.

Yoruichi, however, used flash step once more, this time appearing behind her opponent.

Halibel's eyes widened the second she realized she had left herself wide open, and no later than she had realized this, a powerful kick sent her flying into a nearby pillar.

Yoruichi smirked at the sound of rock breaking and at the sight of dust surrounding the sizeable hole in the nearby pillar Halibel had created.

'_There is not a chance in hell she's down from that._' Yoruichi thought, still gazing at the dead center of the hole.

The Tercera emerged from the hole a second later, though the only altering in her appearance appeared to be that her jacket was unzipped, revealing her mask fragment.

"If that is all you have to offer in this fight, then I truly have nothing to worry about." Halibel taunted, causing Yoruichi to scoff.

"As if that was as hard as I could hit." Yoruichi replied, however, she immediately regretted taking her attention off of Halibel for even the briefest of moments.

The blond-haired Espada appeared directly behind Yoruichi and delivered a swift attack aimed at her back. Yoruichi, in response to this, quickly turned around so as to evade the attack and simultaneously allow herself a better position.

However, when she made an attempt at a counter attack by delivering a punch to Halibel's stomach, her fist was caught, making her eyes widen slightly. She then used flash step to move across the battlefield, eyeing the Espada with mild interest.

"Doesn't look like you can hit me even when you catch me off guard." Yoruichi taunted, though her words had the instantaneous effect of making Halibel smirk.

"Hardly, I merely hit the wrong target." Halibel replied, immediately after which the band that held Yoruichi's hair in place snapped, effectively making her frown. The Tercera was now making her angry, more so than before.

"Why were you aiming at my head anyway? Did I touch a nerve when I slept with Ichigo?" Yoruichi taunted, getting the immediate effect of pissing off her opponent.

Halibel used sonido to appear directly in front of Yoruichi, her blade cocked back and prepared to cut her directly across her neck.

The former captain's eyes widened at this, considering that the Espada's previous attacks hadn't even possess half of this kind of animosity.

She lunged backwards, trying to get into a better position, but she paused after seeing that Halibel simply halted her assault.

'_What is she doing?_' Yorucihi wondered out of curiosity. Halibel sheathed her sword, causing Yoruichi to raise a brow, but before she could ask why Halibel had done this, the Espada began to speak.

"I am aware that you two slept together, but have you two become mates as of yet?" Halibel inquired, sounding deadly serious in her inquiry.

"No… not yet at least." Yoruichi replied, though her answer seemed to anger Halibel slightly.

"I see… but all the same, I refuse to allow you to win." Halibel stated with conviction before bringing up her fists.

"What are you doing now?" Yoruichi inquired, entering a stance of her own designed for hand to hand combat.

"If I simply defeat you by using my zapkauto, I will have proved nothing. If I am going to be Ichigo's mate, I need to know that I am better than you." Halibel replied, prompting Yoruichi to smirk.

"Then by all means…" Yoruichi trailed off before lunging at Halibel, her fists prepared to enter one hell of a hand-to-hand brawl.

_**With Nel and Risha**_

Nel and Risha continuously slashed and punched at one another, though not a single hit had landed in the fight, thus far. However, neither of them seemed to be giving it their all.

Nel's strikes, even offensively, gave off no aggressive aura which was a contradiction to the fighting ability Nel was more than capable of accessing. This was likely because she didn't want to fight in the first place, but luckily it didn't seem like she had to give it her all, thanks to Risha.

Risha on the other hand, was being rather direct with her strikes but appeared to only commit half-heartedly with each attack. It was as if she was conflicted about the fight in general.

'_Something's not right…_' Nel thought as she parried one of Risha's attacks, sending sparks flying due to the rapid collision.

In a surprising case of aggression, Risha delivered a slash directed at Nel's ribcage before the green-haired Espada could even think of countering her previous attack.

Nel jumped backwards, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw a slight amount of her hair fall to the ground, but that wasn't why her eyes were widened.

'_She stopped her blade… I'm sure of it._' Nel thought, coming to a stop across the battlefield and staring directly at Risha.

The attack would likely have drawn first blood if the black-haired woman had followed through, but she stayed her blade, and that was incredibly curious.

"Why have you stopped?" Risha inquired, however she made no move to continue the fight.

"I'm stopping because I want to ask you something… why didn't you follow through with that last attack?" Nel asked, causing Risha to cringe unpleasantly, though why that was the case seemed to be a mystery.

"My reasons are my own." Risha replied in a cryptic manner, not at all succeeding in quelling Nel's curiosity.

"Mind telling them to me?" Nel pressed, causing a silence to erupt for a short period of time.

"I… I am hesitant to fight you… or the others for that matter. Ichigo is my master and I will follow him to the ends of any dimension in existence and that is why I cannot bring myself to fight you three. He clearly cares for each of you, and if fighting you would disappoint him, then I have failed as his fraccion… but if I do not fight you, then I lose my chance to be with him, and if that should happen…" Risha said, pausing and looking down at the ground with a saddened expression.

"If that should happen what?" Nel questioned, sensing that Risha had a want to elaborate.

"If that should happen then I do not know if I will be able to serve him faithfully. It is my duty, but he means something to me, and to see another woman take my place at his side is something I don't think I could bear." Risha explained in a slightly saddened expression.

Nel frowned upon hearing what Risha had said. It was very true that her position with Ichigo was different given her role as a fraccion. This entire scenario wasn't preferable to any of them, but Risha was perhaps in the worst position of the four of them, and she really didn't deserve to be.

"Risha… I understand… that's why I'm fighting as well. I may not agree with the means, but Ichigo is someone that I see as special. Each of his individual qualities alone are a reason I should be attracted to him. He is handsome, brave, protective, caring, and he doesn't look down on others simply because he is strong." Nel began, pausing momentarily to gather her thoughts.

"That is why I am fighting… and from the day I returned to this form, he has been the only reason I have been fighting… but no matter how much I want him I can't watch you throw your chance away. If you really want what you say, you need to prove it." Nel stated in an attempt to give Risha just a slight push in the right direction.

It wasn't that Nel didn't want to win, she did quite badly, but the fact of the matter remained that if she took advantage of the fact that Risha was unable to give it her all, then she wouldn't be able to live with herself. If she was going to win, it was going to be fairly and by her own skill.

'_You are right… Lady Nelliel… I have to fight, I can't allow myself to go about this halfheartedly._' Risha thought with her eyes closed and a determined expression on her face.

"Very well…" Risha said, her voice no longer saddened.

"Oh, and Lady Nelliel… thank you." Risha added. Before Nel could even respond, Risha had charged her and the two commenced fighting with blades once more.

_**Las Noches: Aizen's Private Quarters **_

"Excuse me?" Ichigo asked, finding no other words to counter what Aizen had just said.

"Was I not clear? Very well, I will tell you already that I know exactly why you ventured into the world of the living and that I know who you spoke to. At this very moment it wouldn't surprise me if Kiskue Urahara has been informed of your being alive." Aizen replied, prompting Ichigo to look at the ruler of Hueco Mundo with wide eyes and mouth agape.

It wasn't that Aizen knowing was all too surprising, he had somewhat expected that he would find out. Perhaps not this soon, but he believed it would happen.

That in mind, allowing Ichigo to know that he knew was something that Ichigo absolutely did not expect to happen. If Aizen kept that information a secret, then he could have kept up a friendly and unthreatening visage while trying to plot in order to "dispose" of Ichigo for directly disobeying his orders, but letting him know was something that confused him.

"From your expression I can tell that you seem surprised that I told you this, but I will repeat myself as I have many times before… I have no intention of killing you, or any of those you hold dear. I have no intention of robbing you of the life that you once had and I have no intention of forcing you to fight those you most likely still see as comrades. I have no intention of turning the Espada or the arrancar against you, and I most certainly have no intention of punishing you for your actions since it would only be a matter of time before they were to discover this on their own." Aizen stated, his words confusing Ichigo even further.

"Why?" Ichigo simply asked, seeing no better way to get such information. Aizen chuckled slightly at this before giving his reply.

"The answer is quite simple really, I don't see you as my enemy, nor do I believe you see me as yours. Perhaps you believe I am your enemy because of what the Soul Society makes me out to be, but I don't believe you truly hate me." Aizen replied, prompting Ichigo to regain his ability to think properly.

The concept of Aizen being his enemy was quite tricky. Plenty of things the man had done had been to his benefit. He supposed that he was stronger and in more control of his powers with his inner hollow gone, and that allowed him to protect what he held dear. He may have lost his memory, but he believed that that particular occurrence wasn't planned out by Aizen. But other than that, Aizen hadn't killed anyone he personally knew. That didn't mean he wasn't his enemy, but hate was a very strong word to describe he felt in regards to Aizen. Perhaps a moderate dislike for, but not hate.

"I… I can honestly say that I don't hate you, and I guess I should apologize for disobeying orders." Ichigo replied, prompting Aizen to shake his head amusedly.

"Now why would you go and apologize? The Soul Society isn't likely to know of your being alive just yet. Perhaps they will in the future, but I have severe doubt that Kisuke Urahara has the intention of informing anyone else given the reaction they will have. On top of that, I merely see this as you're informing your loved ones that you are alive and well… am I wrong?" Aizen said, lying as to what he thought was Ichigo's real reason for going to the world of the living.

Ichigo inwardly sighed after hearing what Aizen "thought" his reasons for going to Karakrua Town were, quite glad that he hadn't concluded that Ichigo was a traitor.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I should have done it." Ichigo replied.

"It matters very little in the long run… besides, if you…" Aizen said before being cut off.

Gin ran straight through his door, his grin as wide as ever before, and stared at Aizen and Ichigo, looking as if he desperately wanted to say something.

"You two aren't going to believe this." Gin said excitedly, though his words greatly unnerved Ichigo.

"Hello to you too, Gin." Aizen greeted nonchalantly, somewhat annoyed that the man had interrupted his conversation.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, good to see ya, now look at that security screen thingy, training area outside of Halibel's room." Gin stated, prompting Aizen to raise a brow.

He turned to a large, solid, white wall and on said wall four screen projections of the mentioned area popped up. It was very clear what was going on, and what was going on caused Ichigo's eyes to shoot out of his head.

"What the hell are they doing?!" Ichigo exclaimed, prompting Gin to chuckle.

"What did you do?!" Ichigo shouted in mock anger, looking directly at Gin, who simply shrugged.

"I merely introduced them, but you are the one causing them to fight." Gin replied, causing Ichigo to look at Gin confusedly.

"They're fighting over who gets to go out with you moron." Gin clarified, prompting Ichigo to drop his jaw and look at the screens once more.

"I was especially paying attention to the fight between Yoruichi and Halibel. They are really tearing into each other." Gin said amusedly, bringing Ichigo's attention to both of the tanned-skinned goddesses that were currently punching and kicking at each other as if they were in a death match.

Ichigo disappeared via sonido a moment later, not even bothering to say where he was going. Both Gin and Aizen knew he was off to stop the fight, but how that would turn out, neither of them knew. The proverbial cat was out of the bag that much was certain.

_**Las Noches: Training Grounds, With Halibel and Yoruichi **_

Halibel and Yoruichi stopped for a brief period of time, appearing across from one another to catch their breath. Though Yoruichi was by far superior in hand to hand combat, the number of bruises she currently had scarring her otherwise perfect skin served as clear evidence that the Espada was more than capable of landing a hit, and she hit hard.

Halibel, likewise, had markings of her own, only they had the function of showing that Yoruichi was a very formidable opponent. Some of her bones were likely fractured to a degree, and her bruises were more numerous than those of Yoruichi's, but she was more than willing to take a hit or two if it meant that she could land one herself.

"Giving up already, Espada?" Yoruichi asked cheekily, intending to get some kind of reaction out of the blond-haired arrancar.

"I was about to ask you the same question." Halibel retorted.

'_If she continues to stall like this, then my instant regeneration will soon be able heal the bones that she fractured._' Halibel thought. She may not possess the abilities of regeneration that Ulquiorra or Ichigo possessed, but each of the Espada had instant regeneration to a degree, regardless of its speed.

"I wouldn't surrender in a million years, especially with how injured you are compared to me." Yoruichi countered.

"My injuries mean nothing in the long run. All that matters is defeating you." Halibel replied in a serious voice.

"Why does beating me matter so much to you?" Yoruichi questioned, though her opponent didn't even give any indication she was going to reply.

"I've never even heard of an arrancar having feelings in the first place. Tell me, do you actually care about him or do you just want to possess him?" Yoruichi asked.

Halibel balled her fist at what she believed to be an insult, the only thing preventing her from charging Yoruichi in a blind rage being that she still needed slightly more time.

"You believe I don't care about Ichigo? Who are you to tell me what I feel?!" Halibel all but shouted, causing Yoruichi's eyes to widen slightly given her reaction.

"Make no mistake Yoruichi Shihoin, I do not want to possess Ichigo for myself, it goes beyond that… but perhaps you are simply basing this off of what you believe arrancar to act like." Halibel continued, her words being true and concise.

"If you believe that I am incapable of feeling emotions such as passion or desire then you are entirely incorrect. In fact, making that assumption about me would be the same as saying such things about Ichigo himself." Halibel stated, withdrawing her mask fragment once she had finished.

From the bottom of her neck up, the shark-like mask fragment disappeared, revealing Halibel's entire face to Yoruichi and subsequently causing a realization to dawn on Yoruichi's part.

"You're not a full arrancar." Yoruichi exclaimed, prompting Halibel to nod.

"The way I am now is because of events that happened during his transformation, but the end result was as you say. I am capable of having emotions and have felt the force of them ever since he saved my life…" Halibel said in a somewhat quiet voice before glaring at Yoruichi and scowling in her general direction.

"So don't tell me I can't feel anything for him!" Halibel shouted before unsheathing her zanpakuto once more. She began to radiate large amounts of golden-yellow spiritual energy, the sheer amount of which was quite impressive.

"Give this everything you have, Yoruichi Shihoin." Halibel demanded, her spiritual pressure still rising. She then took a stance that gave the impression she was about to charge at Yoruichi, and that caused the goddess of the flash to smirk.

A white aura began to surround her shoulders and back, shooting static bolts sporadically around her body as she raised her left hand to her sides. Her smirk changed into an expression of absolute seriousness, and her eyes developed a determined look to them.

Without saying another word, the two warriors lunged at one another, their respective spiritual pressure flaring as the shot through the air.

Before they could come into contact with one another and end the fight, however, a figure clad in white appeared in between them, each of his respective hands outstretched so as to catch both Halibel's zanpakuto and Yoruichi's fist.

The eyes of both the females widened as they recognized who this was, but they couldn't have stopped themselves from continuing in their current path.

'_Ichigo…_' Halibel and Yoruichi thought similarly, their mentality being that they had just been busted in some manner.

One factor didn't help to alleviate their guilt. Ichigo had suffered damage from catching their respective attacks. Halibel's sword had nearly sliced off his hand from the middle of his palm up, and Yoruichi's shunko reinforced punch had practically melted the flesh off of his right hand and nearly shattered the bones of said hand and forearm.

Ichigo stood in silence for a moment, his expression being one of anger. His hands released both Yoruichi's fist and Halibel's sword, after which a white substance covered his hands, revealing his wounds to be healed a moment later.

Nel and Risha appeared via sonido a second later, each frowning guiltily at the sight of Ichigo and the fact that he appeared angry.

"Would you four mind telling me what the hell you were doing?" Ichigo asked in a calm voice, though it was rather clear he was doing so on purpose to contain some form of immense anger.

Halibel simply looked at the ground, somewhat ashamed of herself for allowing her emotions to get the better of her. Yoruichi didn't say a thing and opted to remain quiet, and Risha didn't dare to speak as she knew Ichigo would lecture her I some manner considering that she was _supposed_ to be the one person he could count on to never let him down.

"We were… ummm…" Nel trailed off, deciding that she was going to be the one to speak. She, however, found herself unable to continue considering that there really wasn't a good way to explain what they were doing.

"There isn't any sense in lying to me, Gin told me why you were fighting, and frankly I am extremely disappointed… in all of you." Ichigo stated, the end of his sentence causing Nel and Risha to cringe considering that had been something they absolutely did not want to hear.

"Ichigo, I…" Yoruichi began, though she was almost immediately cut off.

"I expected more from you Yoruichi, and you too Halibel. What were you thinking with that last attack? I'll let you in on a little secret, I was using all of my spiritual pressure to increase the strength of my hierro as much as I could and my hands were both nearly destroyed. That easily tells me that one or both of you was going to be severely injured." Ichigo said before turning his sights towards Nel and Risha.

"As for you two… fighting over me? Really? Nel, you hate fighting more than anyone I have ever met, and Risha, tell me the truth, did you even think for a second that I would want this?" Ichigo questioned, prompting Risha to hang her head in an ashamed manner.

"You know what… I want to know exactly what was going through your heads when this started. Did any of you really think I would remotely want this to happen?" Ichigo asked in a tone that possessed a slight edge to it.

"We agreed not to go too overboard and the rule was that any loss of blood means that you were out." Nel said in a meager attempt at a defense.

Ichigo turned and glared at Nel, that snippet of information not at all making him feel better.

"My problem is that you were trying to hurt each other over me, and I don't even know why you would choose to settle it like that." Ichigo stated, though each of the four respective women then realized something.

"We chose to settle it like that because we thought it a best that you didn't know each of us was at odds over you, therefore taking pressure off of you in pursuing a relationship with one of us…" Halibel began, her eyes now fixed in glare at Ichigo.

"Yes… but now that you know, there is no sense in each of us fighting." Nel continued, turning to Ichigo and glaring at him as well.

'_What is going on?_' Ichigo wondered, becoming drastically confused as to where this was going.

"You are correct… now he has the ability to choose for himself." Risha mused, herself now glaring at her master.

"So Ichigo…" Yoruichi began, herself now glaring at her former student.

"Who do you choose?" The four women asked simultaneously. Ichigo could swear he then heard a torrent of laughter, but he was too shocked to even register where it came from. For all he knew, it was Gin just laughing away at what had just happened.

**A/N Next Chapter will be next Friday, I have some stuff to do next week and I want the next chapter to be good, so I will take a bit of extra time to make sure it's just right. **

_**Explanations**_:

**The Catfight**: I couldn't make it too damn long and too damn violent, then I couldn't have had it end the way it did.

**Aizen**: He knew, what a shocker, but he isn't going to try to be Ichigo's enemy, that's all I will say. It may or may not come out like that, but on his part, Aizen won't try to make Ichigo his enemy.

**Ichigo's Inner Hollow**: He will show up in person soon enough, but he disappears for a while, maybe a random stop by here and there, but nothing too often and nothing too definitive.

**Ulquiorra**: Someone brought this up in a review, and I feel I should address this. He would say that Ichigo is not a bothersome person to be around, which to him is the closest thing to a friend he has probably ever had. Will he join Ichigo's rebellion though? Can't answer that, it is part of the plot twist!

_**Reviews**_:

**crusnik08**: No, he won't, he doesn't find out that in particular until the sequel.

**Kiwifan7**: Risha fighting will come very, very, very soon, but up until this point she hasn't fought an opponent she really wanted to kill. When that happens, shit gets real.

**horney07**: I may or may not pair Unohana up with someone, but it won't be Ichigo. Also, thanks for telling me about the typo.

**Fire0770**: Now when have I ever told anyone anything about what happens next ;), but seriously, you'll find out in like two or so chapters what Aizen intends to do with what Ichigo got.

**99 luffy**: Well I won't tell you exactly what it is, but it involves the Hogyoku.

**InflatedChimp**: See explanations for the Ulquiorra thing. Another beach chapter… at the start of the sequel, maybe, but I don't have any more planned for this one. As for the eighty chapters thing, it depends, I no longer have an extensive outline of what the chapters will be, I just know how I will end it, what leads up to it, and that I will write until I get there, so I couldn't really say how long, but maybe 70-80, I don't really know. It will be, at the least, 50, so take comfort in that, and I will make more stories after this, so don't worry about that! I also will do my best not to disappoint you, or any other of the readers for that matter.


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